Just curious if anyone is growing really big Apple cultivars. The Hanner’s, Buckley Giants, Dula’s Beauty, Hokuto or Ooten’s. Or other worthy contenders.
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My neighbor grew the Wolf River many years ago. They must have been 5 or 6 inches in diameter.
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Oh…forgot Wolf River. I’m sure I missed a few. England alone must have grown a thousand huge, mushy sour sauce apple cultivars alone…lol
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Gloria Mundi… Looked like softballs in a tree.
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I have wolf river. About its fifth year fruiting and not impressed. It is eye candy for its size but if i ever dared to put it in a pie my family would revolt. Deer fodder.
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I have Appletown Wonder an irish heritage variety that can hit 500g but it hasn’t fruited yet.
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My wolf river planted in '16 on M111 has not fruited. I also have Dula’s, but only a couple seasons so no fruits. Had OOTEN, but it died of multiple diseases.
~
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I used to grow a Japanese variety, Sekai Ichi, that averaged near two pounds. It was a great tasting apple and only lacked for a pleasing texture. Not crisp in the least. Not hard or mealy. Hard to describe. Name translates as World’s Number One.
Malus domestica ‘Sekai-Ichi Apple’ Sekai-Ichi Apple from Grandpa’s Orchard (grandpasorchard.com)
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I have Howgate Wonder started, but the soil is not to its liking. I hope to amend, amend, and mulch the next several years to give it a chance - if it can ever cope with far eastern Washington state! (A far cry from the Isle of Wight, where Howgate Wonder was crossed circa 1915.)
I thought I had Twenty Ounce, another big bruiser, but no, it is some fashionably late dainty lovely mincing ball of blah. Try, try again…
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Oh, for a moment forgot to mention Spokane Beauty on MM111 for friends. Both whips planted a couple years ago, so it may be only a couple more before it blooms & bears the first time. Tricky, since it is a tip bearer. My friends haven’t had to plan pruning for such an eventuality, so I hope we can make Spokane Beauty pump out big & Tasty (rare among the massive apples) fruit some day.
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How was the Ooten apple before it died? Any good?
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How did the Gloria Mundi taste? A friend of mine bought a tree last year to put in his orchard.
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I’m growing Hanners Best. Huge apple, a sport of Spokane Beauty. Tree is healthy and productive on MM111, and the fruit is surprisingly good for fresh eating. Haven’t baked with it yet, but I expect that it will cook up well. Quite impressive looking, too.
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I have been looking at Hanner’s Best to put in my orchard. I have not known anyone that actually had one. Please let us know how the apple holds up when baked.
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It wasn’t mine, seen it in a small orchard in Missouri while visiting and asked the name. They weren’t ripe yet, either, so no sampling.
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Bummer, thanks for the info.
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I have two Gloria Mundi in the orchard and one more here at the house, but they haven’t produced yet.
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One of my interests has been large apples and I have that down as a selection criteria for scions. No apples since all are grafts < 3 years but here are some of mine acc to my research either L or VL. Your own experience may certainly differ.
Wolf River
Dula beauty
Reinette zabergau
Spokane beauty
Coconut crunch
Ooten
Muskmelon
Hunge
Cathead
Kimrone
Cora Grand greening
Jumbo
Appleton wonder
Fallawater
Opalescent
Cauley
Mollies Delicious
Poundsweet
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Only lived a couple years after grafting…so I can’t give you much help.
I either put it on Antonovka or B-118, can’t recall.
I then put Russian Raspberry in the same spot, and it died.
I planted Terry in the hole this year.
(If that fails, I’ll plant a mulberry or something!)
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Happy to, but I’m afraid that it won’t be this season. I ate the last one earlier this week.
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