I was wondering if anyone is growing Berner Rosen? If so, can you say where you got it and what the fruit is like?
This was my favorite childhood apple while growing up in Switzerland, ours ripened late September, it was bright red with beautiful bright white flesh with some red near the skin. It would usually come off the tree with a nice lilac bloom, but the skin would turn greasy after a while. The apples were strongly aromatic, the whole room would smell like them. The flavor was out of this world, simply one of the best apple I've ever eaten. The closest apple I've tasted is Viking, Viking is almost the same apple, but almost two months earlier.
Well, when I saw a tree with a graft labeled "Berner Rosen" at one of our local CRFG gardens, I had to graft some myself. However, when it fruited this Winter this was not Berner Rosen, no red under the skin, no bloom, no greasy skin, not even the right shape, this one is shaped more like a pumpkin. The flesh is very hard, dryish, and it didn't have the vineous flavor of Berner Rosen at all. So obviously it's not Berner Rosen, so I wonder what it really is. Is there a bogus Berner Rosen floating around?
Last Summer, I budgrafted some Berner Rosen from GRIN, I can only hope that this is the real thing.
The true Berner Rosen is simply the best apple..
I disagree. The best apples are the ones in your and my frig right now. <!-- s
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Axel,
Nick Botner is the best source of apple scion wood that I know of. He lives in Yoncalla, OR. I'm sure Viron or someone on this list knows how to contact him. I almost always see him at the scion exchange and the fall all about fruit show, but of course , you live in Santa Cruz. Anyone have a contact?
John S
PDX OR
Axel,
I have the mailing address for Nick Botner.
Click back to the Forum Index – look for “Viron†in the HOS Forums box (I’m a ‘moderator’) – click on my name – click on “send an e-mail message†– send me a message and I’ll send you his address.
I don’t have a phone # or e-mail contact for Nick, but the mail moves pretty fast these days.
Thanks, I haven't done Botner's list yet, I'm afraid I am going to want too many things. I have a number of apples coming in from GRIN, a bag of at least 30 scions waiting in the fridge, and more coming from friends. Next year I will peruse Botner's list.
My question to folks here is if anyone is growing it, and if so, what their experience with it is? Can you describe the apple? My main concern is that there might be a "wrong" Berner Rosen in circulation in the US.
There are a lot of apples circulating out there that aren't what they claim.
Thanks.