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desertdance

I thought Apples Were Roundish

Here is a photo (sorry for the blur) of an Anna Apple. The tree is loaded with apples and they all look like this.

First time with apples. This tree is old and large. It was on the property when we bought it in January.

Does this look normal?

Thanks!

Suzi

Comments (17)

  • dmtaylor
    10 years ago

    Yes. A baby apple can often look nothing like its final appearance in late summer. No worries.

  • don555
    10 years ago

    Agreed with dmtaylor, that looks healthy and normal.

  • fruitnut Z7 4500ft SW TX
    10 years ago

    It's an unusual apple in that it has that elongated shape even in the typically hot climates in which it is grown. Most apples like Red Delicious or Fuji are much longer in a cool climate than in one with warm to hot spring/summer. Commercially they spray growth regulators on Red Delicious to get the elongated shape you see in the store, even in cool climates.

  • Suzi AKA DesertDance So CA Zone 9b
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks for the replies! I was worried I had a tree that produces deformed apples!

    Fruitnut, a strange thing did happen about 3 weeks ago when the tree was flowering. We got snow! Of course, it didn't stick, but it was really cold! Brrrrrrr!

    Now I look forward to tasting the fruit and making an apple pie! I am astounded that apples even grow here.

    There is one more apple tree, and it is one with 5 grafted varieties on it. One whole variety had Fire Blight, so off that branch came and it was destroyed! That tree has rounder baby apples. Fuji hasn't bloomed yet, but there are lots of apples on the tree. There were only two tags left on the tree: Golden Dorsett and Fuji. The other branches didn't have tags, so it will be a surprise.

    Thanks for the responses!

    Suzi

  • hoosierquilt USDA 10A Sunset 23 Vista CA
    10 years ago

    Anna apple is self-fruitful. If the Anna apple has not been cross-pollinated, it will be cylindrical (and will have no seeds inside). If the apple is pollinated, it will be much more round (and of course have seeds inside). This is sort of a unique quality of the Anna apple. You should thin your Anna, so you get nice, large apples. They set prolifically. If you'd like a nice cross-pollinator for your Anna, purchase a Golden Dorsett (sounds like perhaps the multi-grafted tree may no longer be "multi", since you don't mention you have set Golden Dorsett, which you should have by this time. This is the downside to multi-grafted trees, they must be maintained and properly pruned, so one variety doesn't take over). I think it is a better tasting early apple than the Anna, personally. For late apples where you are, Fuji and Cripps (Pink Lady) are our best later apples. They can be exceptionally good. Fuji here where I am is absolutely outstanding. Hard to find a better tasting apple for my area.

    Patty S.

  • ltilton
    10 years ago

    I don't see it on the apple in the photo, but sometimes frost will create a ring of russeted skin mid-way around the apple, and it can create that elongated shape.

    Apples will still be perfectly edible.

  • hoosierquilt USDA 10A Sunset 23 Vista CA
    10 years ago

    Nope, not due to frost, ltilton. This is the specific feature of the Anna apple. Anna is probably the most popular low-chill apple cultivar in our (Suzi and my) area. This is the typical shape of non-pollinated Anna apples. Here are photos my one of my Anna apple trees. All apples are on the same tree. I have a Golden Dorsett about 5 or 6' away from this Anna. Suzi, the shape of the fruit or whether or not the fruit was pollinated will not affect the flavor or quality in any way, just in case you were wondering.

    Not pollinated:
    {{gwi:82975}}

    Pollinated:
    {{gwi:82976}}

    partially pollinated:
    {{gwi:82977}}

    Patty S.

    This post was edited by hoosierquilt on Fri, Apr 5, 13 at 19:27

  • silent88
    10 years ago

    Interesting to see all the Anna apples... I don't think mine were pollinated and mine look like the original posters!! Maybe I should purchase a Dorset golden? I'm afraid I could bring a disease tho! Anna is doing so well.

  • applenut_gw
    10 years ago

    Dorsett Golden and Shell of Alabama are the only suitable pollinators; Ein Shemer is worthless for it as it blossoms too late.

  • hoosierquilt USDA 10A Sunset 23 Vista CA
    10 years ago

    You won't risk bringing in a disease if you plant a Dorsett, silent. Golden Dorsett is a very virgorous, disease resistant cultivar and one of the best early apples. Can't speak to Shell of Alabama, applenut can report on that variety, as he must have hundreds of varieties in his orchard. And, Ein Shemer isn't the best tasting option either, as well as the bloom times being just exactly off for pollination options, applenut is quite correct. Your Anna apples look typical of non-pollination, but not to worry. They'll just be a wee bit skinner than a pollinated apple. Not a big deal.

    Patty S.

  • silent88
    10 years ago

    Thanks! I'll try to get a dorsett golden if I can convince my parents! The backyards already pretty much a farm ;)!

  • silent88
    10 years ago

    Also, its interesting that anna bloomed for, maybe 2-3 weeks. About 1-2 weeks in my fuji, across the yard (which is not very vigorous...) sent out maybe 2 clusters of flowers. So it seems fuji could be a potential pollinator if it would start growing normal.

  • hoosierquilt USDA 10A Sunset 23 Vista CA
    10 years ago

    My Fuji's and my Anna's do not have similar bloom times. Maybe a little overlap, with the later Anna blooms, and the very, very first Fuji blooms. Now, Anna will bloom for a longer period of time, and have a second and even third bloom time. This is typical of very low chill apples. Fuji, which has a higher chill hour requirement will only bloom once a season. Fuji is not considered an viable cross-pollination option for Anna.

    Patty S.

  • Suzi AKA DesertDance So CA Zone 9b
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    The Dorsett Golden has set fruit, but it's rounder than the Anna. Both have a lot of fruit, but the Dorsett is only one branch on a multi.

    I'm wondering about the Fuji Branch. No blossoms or leaves yet. It's the only branch that hasn't flowered or leafed out. It's not dead. Just not doing anything.

    Thanks for all the photos! Happy to know my Anna is normal! The Dorsett is a good 100' away from the Anna, so it probably didn't pollinate it. There are a ton of bees since the rosemary which is everywhere is blooming as is the citrus. We have happy bees!

    Suzi

  • applenut_gw
    10 years ago

    Apples with different chill-hour needs don't do well on a multi-graft tree. The Fuji limb of my 5-in-1 tree would be dormant long after the two Fuji trees next to it had already bloomed and set fruit. I now use one of those Fuji trees as a "Frankentree" (multi-graft) to test other high-chill varieties, and they all play together very well. The varieties that prove "worthy" get their own rootstock. But as Patty alluded, Fuji is incredible here, way better than in the store.

  • alan haigh
    10 years ago

    Fruitnut, I've not heard of growth regulators being used to improve shape of any apple. Please elaborate.

  • hoosierquilt USDA 10A Sunset 23 Vista CA
    10 years ago

    What applenut said. Suzi, Golden Dorsett will be normally shaped. It's just the Anna that has this peculiar quality. Your Fuji graft is still coming out of dormancy. My Fuji's are just starting the wake up, now. I have 3 different Fuji varieties, and if I only could pick one cultivar for my area, that would be it. It is hard to describe exactly how incredible a Fuji is here in S. California. I have had nothing else even come remotely close. Don't judge the flavor from a store-bought Fuji like applenut says. Wait til you pick one from your own tree and you'll see what I mean.

    Patty S.