First ripe apples for 2021

[Native Hunter]

I thought my Striped June (aka Margret) apples would be late due to the colder than normal temps, but it seems they are right on time. However, they do seem a little smaller this year. These will continue to ripen and drop through the end of June. I ate my first ones yesterday, and liked the taste better than normal. I wonder if it was because I limed and fertilized the tree for the first time this spring.

 

[Bill]

Wow that is early. Looking good though.

 

[chummer]

I still have a couple blossoms kicking around on trees.

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

Wonder with the small size if the sugars and nutrients aren’t more concentrated?


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[Native Hunter]

Wonder with the small size if the sugars and nutrients aren’t more concentrated?


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That’s a possibility.

 

[sandbur]

Wonder with the small size if the sugars and nutrients aren’t more concentrated?


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During wet years, with larger apple size, I feel apples and cider lack just a bit of flavor.


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[H20fwler]

Those look great!
I can't wait to see how my apples do this year after getting about nothing last year...most of mine are about the size of a nickel right now.

 

[Chainsaw]

I still have a couple blossoms kicking around on trees.

Us too.

 

[Telemark]

I lost a lot of blossom buds this year. About half my trees have no blossoms at all. Only about 25% of my trees have a lot of blossoms. We had a hard winter, so maybe the buds got zapped.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

During wet years, with larger apple size, I feel apples and cider lack just a bit of flavor.

I've noticed the same and heard that from local orchard owners.

 

[Native Hunter]

This was today after I have already taken over 5 gallons of apples off the tree. They are really falling fast now:

I had forgotten about the red tinted flesh on these apples when they get really ripe. I don't recall seeing this on any of my other apples:

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Great looking tree - very clean in the pic. Plenty of apples still on it too.

 

[Native Hunter]

Great looking tree - very clean in the pic. Plenty of apples still on it too.

Thanks Bows. It seems to have a much disease resistance as Liberty. I've never seen anything affect it.

 

[sandbur]

This was today after I have already taken over 5 gallons of apples off the tree. They are really falling fast now:

I had forgotten about the red tinted flesh on these apples when they get really ripe. I don't recall seeing this on any of my other apples:

Does the taste change when they get red flesh?


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[Native Hunter]

Does the taste change when they get red flesh?


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I would say "yes" because the red flesh seems to happen as they get riper. As mentioned earlier, this year all of them seem a little sweeter than normal.

Where this apple shines most is as a cooking apple. We had some this week that my MIL cooked, and they were great.

 

[Haus]

What’s the cold hardiness? I want one!

 

[Native Hunter]

What’s the cold hardiness? I want one!

I have no idea. I've read that it originated in England and was popular in the south for many years in olden days. If you want to try one, you can get scion wood from Big Horse Creek Farm next spring.

 

[H20fwler]

Very nice! I need to get some real early droppers going.

 

[Native Hunter]

Very nice! I need to get some real early droppers going.

Another early one you could consider is Bevan's Favorite. Below is a picture of it today with just a few apples beginning to change color. They look a lot like Striped June but just a little sweeter and a little later. It does have some leaf spotting in this horrific year for both CAR and Scab but nothing serious.

 

[H20fwler]

Another early one you could consider is Bevan's Favorite. Below is a picture of it today with just a few apples beginning to change color. They look a lot like Striped June but just a little sweeter and a little later. It does have some leaf spotting in this horrific year for both CAR and Scab but nothing serious.

Those are awesome too, I sure will look into getting one or two of those....the Striped June being a red flesh makes me instantly fall in love with it. I will admit I have a crazy weakness almost an obsession for the red fleshed apples.
A few of the apple varieties I have in now are late summer droppers and some of the pears, expanding into early summer only makes sense for wildlife trees. Like many I had tunnel vision early on and just focused on late fall/winter droppers.