I just had my first Belle de Boskoop off my tree. It fell today, which is quite early, but it was one of two apples from about 20% of a semi-dwarf tree. I predict it will later have about 70 apples from that part of the tree. I got it from the scion exchange. It seems that it is quite early.
I also got a winter banana from the scion exchange and it had exactly one apple, which also dropped noticeably early.
Is it a recognized phenomena that the first one or two apples from a variety that fruits in its first year will be early? Is it likely that I just have a mislabeled variety? The color seems mostly right on these and the flavor seems right on the Belle de Boskoop.
Thanks
John S
PDX OR
I don't know the answer to your question, John, but I always seem to get a couple of apples that are much earlier than the rest.
They get me all eager to pick, and then the rest just sit there, not ready for weeks, or even months.
At least it is a hint of what's to come. I've got several apple trees with first crop this year, and am very anxious to taste. The maverick early apples have been quite nice.
My fruit of all varieties has all been off schedule this year. Peaches, about a month late, just picked the last of them. Asian pears aren't even close to pick, and they should have been ready late August.
Grapes, on the other hand, seem to be close and they are usually in a dead race to ripen before a serious freeze.
I hope the birds leave me some apples. I've never seen them go after unripe apples and they are really destroying the apple crop this year. They must have rented a jack hammer to break the unripe apples open.
I’ve also noticed young trees somewhat overloaded with fruit as their owners are anxious for a crop and reluctant to thin, thus the tree can’t feed the fruit or often times support the load. …and the “something crawling around inside†comment sounds equally valid. Give them time… and in time you may have more than you know what to do with.
For me, not this year --- I’ve as poor a crop of apples as I can remember… going back around 25 years. There are trees that have always produced, such as my ‘Stayman Winesap,’ that have only a handful on them. Plus – the leaves on everything look …bad. It’s as if the foliage couldn’t support a crop and can barely support the tree/s! It’s so bad (how bad is it?) – so bad I’m not bothering to use my apple press. Used yearly for 15 years, and pressing around 25 gallons per run @ four runs per season, I’m thirsty just thinking about it 
I’d heard a ‘news report’ months ago attributing our never-ending Spring to the dust thrown into the northern hemisphere by that Icelandic volcano. Whatever happened, I hope we’ve a normal season next year as my trees appear to need a year to recover; this one they only looked to have survived.
Idyllwild
simplepress
jafar
Marsha H
Viron
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