Experience with Red Fleshed Apples

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Did you get any red-fleshed apple scions? I have Winekist & maybe a stick of Redfield to spare.

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Any updates on this apple? I am collecting quite a few red fleshed, and looking for the best ones.

  • Yes, I’ve sent out some Redfield scionwood to others today, as a matter of fact.
    And I have WineKist that I grafted last spring, but it hasn’t grown much.
    <But, am still looking for other good red fleshed varieties…especially some from eastern Europe. And also any new ones that US hobbyists have found or crossed.>
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And, NuttingBumpus, I am curious if you ever got scionwood of “Nutting Bumpus” apple? :wink:

Not yet; awaiting Nutting Bumpus from Fedco any week now.

Let us know when Winekist ripens for you. Here in Spokane it comes ripe 20-30 July, depending on the season.
Redfield is ripe about mid-October - so good!

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Hoping my Redfield will bloom in 2020, 4 years after planting it on M111. We’ll see. It has spurs, but so far not sure if there’s blooms.

Odysso will bloom, as will Niedzwetzkyana, probably Bakran, and I think Red Merylinn. We’ll see which other red fleshed might have a bloom or two. One or two on B9 might surprise me with something! Lost Rubaiyat, on G202 I think…to last fall’s drought. Giant Russian and Almata are clinging to life tenuously. Winter Red Flesh, Winekist, Red Devil, Geneva Crab, Bill’s Red Flesh have not grown much. Otterson seems to have the most vigor outside of Niedzwetzkyana so far in my limited experience.

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NuttingBumpus, I was reviewing comments. Wondering how your red fleshed did in 2019?
Maybe I’ll get to see if Redfield is as early to bloom as Niedzwetzkyana (it’ parent), or Granny Smith. I would think it is not earlier than those two. I’m anxious to begin grafting again, but with temperatures expected in lower 20’s for three nights in the 10-day forecast, maybe I should wait a week. Sap is up in quite a number of the apple trees, with bud swell.

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Winekist is a rather spindly tree, about 9 x 9’ so far. I replanted it deeply so it would become a standard & the process is slow. Our soil is sandy and poor. It produced 44 fruits last year; 11 & 12 Brix; very few worms with orchard socks applied until 2 weeks before I harvested them. Ruby red flesh, which translated into stunning sauce and pies (put another apple in the pie for shape - Winekist cooks to purée). Most were 2" x 2" and a few a quarter inch smaller. Our high heat and drought don’t seem to trouble it in a yard where the lawn is watered.
Only one Redfield apple, on Geneva 202 in an orchard near town. I quoted the lady of the place tasting it. She turned to her husband, “Oh John, cider!” They loved it. 14 Brix if I remember rightly; pale section near the seed case, red flesh outer half. I love it, too.

BTW, I got Otterson scions from ChrisL recently. Am pondering where to put them. Otterson looks to be even deeper color than Winekist. If they take, one goal is to make cider with all three red flesh apples - in different batches - with a tasty/sweet apple in matching season. I’ll keep you all posted.

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Well, based upon U of Michigan stats, Otterson seems to be the highest in “antioxidants” and the like. The only graft that ‘took’ was on Antanovka last spring, so I’ll be waiting awhile to sample any.

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Won’t help with fruit this year, but I have grafted 2 more WineKist.
And a couple other red fleshed ones.

Niezwetzkyana and Odysso will be full of blooms this spring…we’ll see what else blooms in a few weeks.

(Bradford pears started opening up TODAY in bloom.)

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You people in Kentucky…I saw my first crocus opening a couple days ago. Forsythia haven’t opened buds yet - never mind pear blooms or apples.

Hope Otterson takes. Am planning to put it atop Connell Red, which has a root system in place nearly a decade. IF Otterson takes, might get a first taste in 2022.

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thanks to this post i just ordered a Odysso from jungs. :wink:

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I’m grafting all of my Winekist scions this year, they’re going into my new high-density planting. Very exciting :grin:

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The wait looks to be over…have quite a few flower buds showing pink on Redfield.
(I guess now the concern will be …. is anything else going to bloom with it? Possibly Granny Smith, but not a lot of blooms there as the tree is 30 years old and dying. I may have to snag some flowering crab limbs and help things along.)

Niedzwetzkyana and Odysso have blossom buds, but not too many it appears. And they will be later than Redfield.

Can’t tell yet if there are going to be blooms on some of my other red fleshed apples in 2020.

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granny smith couldn’t pollinate it. Its Triploid

oops if I knew that I forgot it (like quite a few things anymore: :slight_smile:

Sorry, lordkiwi, I was troubled by your comment, as I always supposed Granny Smith was a decent early pollinator.

So, I made the time to research it (which few seem to want to do anymore).

Granny Smith is not only a diploid, it is also at least partially self fertile.
orangepippin.com is a good reference

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How have I believed this for so long. I have to reevaluate my life.

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:sunny: Now, there’s an idea. Lots believe things that aren’t so and should reevaluate.
Have a good one.

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