Our site sponsor Suttons have released a new apple, which is set to be a winner. It’s the world’s first red-fleshed apple and reportedly has a fine flavour.
Called Redlove ® it’s only available from Suttons and you won’t find these apples in the shops this year although the commercial growers will certainly be taking it on.
It’s not self-fertile but Suttons say you should be alright for pollination so long as there is an apple tree within 300 metres (which is pretty likely). They’re supplying it bare rooted on M9 rootstock which should give a tree about 8′ (2.5M) tall, less if container grown.
The amazing qualities of Redlove include :
- Rosy-red flesh with a beautiful pattern running through it.
- Crisp and juicy fruit with a hint of berries. Delicious eaten raw but also ideal for cooking – it retains its red colour!
- Higher in antioxidants than other apples
- Exceptionally high resistance to scab
- Unusual, long-lasting, deep pink spring blossom.
The swiss have been working on this for a while. it will be interesting to see how it grows in the uk.
Redfleshed apples (I grow a few varieties) are often prone to scab and tend to be biennial. breeding a redfleshed apple without these defects and with a good flavour would be quite an achievement.
Just to say i got a catalogue from Dobies with these in also
I may just invest they look great
Dobies & Suttons are (I think) parts of the same company
I am so excited about this 🙂 One website says they’ll be available in British supermarkets in FIVE YEARS! Is this true?
i just bought a Redlove ERA it came today so rushed out and bought a pot and some john ines no3 i may have forgot to soak the roots but the compost was plenty damp when i left it. Although im not sure what the diference between the Era and the Sirena being on the same root stock and showing the same pictures on suttons, any input on the after care would be great..
the red apples are in use i know one of the cider makers released a limited edition red cider before christmas
According to Suttons Website, ERA can be harvested in October & will keep until Christmas. Sirena ripens earlier & can be stored until October.
These are SCAB FREE & are expected in Shops NEXT YEAR (2012).
It does NOT NEED A RED APPLE to pollinate it. It is not self fertile, BUT if you have 2 ERA & 2 SIRENA, you should be fine. The Seeds DO NOT COME TRUE even with this method, as the bees do get around.
I have a tree with a red fleshed apple and I believe it is sefl pollinating.
It’s very old and is not a grafted tree.
The fruit is darker than the redlove with the colour of a ripe plum.
The flesh is as red if not redder than the redlove.
I brought only one of these when they were first announced,
It’s now doing well, main fruit is between 2/5 ft but new branches this year are around 8 ft as promised with only 2 apples this time that high. I would say maybe as much as 80 lower, great taste better each year cooked in a pie it’s hard to not think is Apple & rhubarb, quite sherbet an a bit fizzy too. Wish I brought more !