Native Hunter 2023 Apples

[Native Hunter]

This looks to be a good year for apples where I live. I have some common, as well as some unusual varieties. I thought maybe some folks might enjoy a thread where I document the apples as they ripen through the year. All of my apples are no spray, so you may see a few bug bites, etc....
I picked my first two apples for the year today. This variety is called Striped June (aka Margaret). They are a small apple ranging from about 2 to 2.5 inches in diameter. The taste is on the tart side, and they cook really well. I've never tried drying this apple but will probably do some this year. By June 15th they will be dropping well and should finish around the end of June - about the time my second apple (Bevan's Favorite) starts coming in. As you can see in the second pic below, most of the Striped June are just beginning to get some red color.

PS - This apple is highly disease resistant to all of the major apple diseases.

 

[Native Hunter]

Even though this is primarily about apples, I may post some other fruits too. I thought folks might be interested in seeing these bush cherries, which are already ripening. I have been picking these for about a week now. The bushes only get about 7 feet tall, so it is easy picking.

 

[lakngolf]

Always refreshing to see the wonderful fruit you produce. I like it best when the long harvest pole comes out!!

 

[Native Hunter]

Always refreshing to see the wonderful fruit you produce. I like it best when the long harvest pole comes out!!

I do like growing fruit. I will go ahead and post these wild raspberries that came up at the edge of the yard a few years ago. All I did was clean out around them a little, and this is what they look like this year. The patch has grown to a 15 foot circle.

 

[Native Hunter]

Illinois Everbearing Mulberry beginning to ripen. This picture illustrates how the tree got its name - due to bearing over a long period of time. Black = ripe and ready to eat, Red = ripe in a few days and Green = weeks from being ripe.

 

[Drycreek]

Native you truly have a green thumb !

 

[Native Hunter]

The June Apples are falling good now. Storms forecasted on Monday will probably cover the ground with them.

 

[KSQ2]

Even though this is primarily about apples, I may post some other fruits too. I thought folks might be interested in seeing these bush cherries, which are already ripening. I have been picking these for about a week now. The bushes only get about 7 feet tall, so it is easy picking.

View attachment 25504View attachment 25505

I would LOVE to grow some of these in our yard where we could baby them. Do you grow any sweet varieties? What I found online were more tart.

 

[Native Hunter]

I would LOVE to grow some of these in our yard where we could baby them. Do you grow any sweet varieties? What I found online were more tart.

No, these and just a couple of other tart cherries are all that I grow. I never did get into cherries very much, because I was more focused on late ripening apples for deer. But, you can add a little sugar to these and they sweeten up real well.

 

[KSQ2]

My family REALLY likes the sweet cherries, I’ll see if I can find some. We’ve tried unsuccessfully to grow cherry trees.

 

[Native Hunter]

My family REALLY likes the sweet cherries, I’ll see if I can find some. We’ve tried unsuccessfully to grow cherry trees.

I don’t think you will find sweet ones in the short bushes. However, they claim that the bush called Juliet is nearly as sweet as a sweet cherry.

 

[KSQ2]

I don’t think you will find sweet ones in the short bushes. However, they claim that the bush called Juliet is nearly as sweet as a sweet cherry.

I found it last night and plan to order a Juliet along with a Romeo. Dawna already has the spot picked out for them. Thanks again!

 

[Native Hunter]

I found it last night and plan to order a Juliet along with a Romeo. Dawna already has the spot picked out for them. Thanks again!

One thing I wanted to mention - it took mine about 3 to 4 years to get leveled out and start bearing good once they started fruiting. I’ve seen apples do the same thing. I initially thought that Yates wasn’t going to be that good of an apple, but it is one of the best.

 

[letemgrow]

I don’t think you will find sweet ones in the short bushes. However, they claim that the bush called Juliet is nearly as sweet as a sweet cherry.

I have the Romeo and Juliet bush cherries in my garden. I thought they were supposed to pollinate each other, but the Romeo blooms before the Juliet with very little carryover for pollination from what I'm seeing.

 

[Native Hunter]

I have the Romeo and Juliet bush cherries in my garden. I thought they were supposed to pollinate each other, but the Romeo blooms before the Juliet with very little carryover for pollination from what I'm seeing.

I have both of those two, but since they are planted at the farm, I hadn’t noticed the difference in flowering. Thanks for sharing that info.

 

[Native Hunter]

This is the same tree today after having roughly 12 gallons of apples already removed from it.

 

[Native Hunter]

My next apple to ripen will be Bevan's Favorite, and I'm going to go ahead and post pictures of it. I would rate the crop this year below average, but still several nice apples. It ripens about 1-2 weeks after Striped June, and resembles it in size and looks. However, where Striped June shines as a cooking apple, Bevan's Favorite is really a good fresh eating apple, considering how early it is. Bevan's has good disease resistance and is easy to grow no spray.

 

[NoviceTreeGuy]

NH, are Bevans favorite tart like the striped june apples? Do they store well?

Where could a guy buy a striped june tree?

 

[Native Hunter]

NH, are Bevans favorite tart like the striped june apples? Do they store well?

Where could a guy buy a striped june tree?

1. Bevan's is not as tart as Striped June. I wouldn't call Bevan's a sweet apple, but it has a nice blend of tart/sweet. Most people (including me) like to eat them right off the tree. Striped June shines as a cooking apple. All you have to do is core the apple and add your favorite ingredients. Then cook the apple with the skin still on it.

2. Neither of the above apples store well. You can keep them in the fridge for a short time, but that's it.

3. I looked at the Century Farm Orchard Website yesterday, and he has Striped June. It is listed by the name of "Margaret," which is another name for this apple. However, I would ask David before buying it to make sure it is the same as my apple. Mine came from a place called Big Horse Creek Farm. They quit selling apple trees at some point, but they still sell scion wood, so a person could buy wood from them and graft his own. Best wishes.

 

[Native Hunter]