Avatar for Sdpluth
Feb 1, 2021 8:24 PM CST
Thread OP

Hi! New member here. Hoping I can ask about my Anna apple tree. It was newly planted about two years ago. It seems pretty happy. Leaves seem healthy, gets lots of flowers, sets too much fruit. I thin them to about one apple every 6-8 inches. But for two years running now the apples that grow are not round but long and skinny. They look fine with no discoloration, dents, or scale. They must need something but I can't figure out why the fruit doesn't fill out. Any help would be appreciated. I'll try and attach some pictures.
-Steve
Thumb of 2021-02-02/Sdpluth/e9c553


Thumb of 2021-02-02/Sdpluth/a6848f


Thumb of 2021-02-02/Sdpluth/8e0651
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Feb 2, 2021 11:40 AM CST

Do a test: pick one of those apples, slice it in half and count the seeds. Since it's an Anna we are talking about I have half an idea of what happened.
Avatar for Sdpluth
Feb 2, 2021 1:24 PM CST
Thread OP

Unfortunately these are old pictures. I don't currently have any fruit and I never looked at the seeds. They did taste fine. I would love to know what you think is happening.
Avatar for Saltflower
Feb 2, 2021 1:53 PM CST
Name: Deborah
Southern California (Zone 10a)
Rabbit Keeper
I would too. This is interesting!
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Feb 3, 2021 1:42 AM CST

That is a pollination problem: you can confirm it by slicing the apple in half and see how many seeds are present and how developed they are. If there are few, or even no, poorly developed seeds you have a pollination problem.

People tend to think of pollination in binary terms: yes/no. And we often assume that since the trees have been sold as "self-fertile" they will simply bear fruit like that. The reality is far more complex and for multi-seeded fruits, like apples and pears, make it doubly so.
Pollination is a very complex operation that takes into account rain, wind, pollinator (bees, bumblebees etc) density, air temperature and genetics.
Anna is an apple cultivar that blooms very early in the season: this means pollination can be affected by cold spells, rainy weather, lack of bees but, far more critical, lack of a compatible pollenizer.

At this point you may ask: hold on a minute. Why do I need a pollenizer? My tree is self-fertile and swarming with bees. It indeed is. But as said before pollination in multi-seeded fruits is very complex: you need both a high amount of pollen and genetic compatibility to have proper seed (and hence fruit) development. Otherwise your tree will indeed set fruit, but they will be malformed, like you've seen, and/or tasteless, which is a complete calamity for commercial growers.

How do you solve this problem? Very simple: look for an apple cultivar named "Dorsett Golden", buy one and plant it near your Anna. These two apple cultivars not only bloom at exactly the same time, but also have perfect genetic compatibility with one another, meaning they will readily pollenize one another. Both cultivars were developed to be grown in hot or even tropical climates (Anna in Israel and Dorsett Golden in The Bahamas) so they can handle the heat no problem.
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Feb 3, 2021 6:04 PM CST
Name: SoCal
Orange County (Zone 10a)
Lazy Gardener or Melonator
I have Anna and Golden Dorsett so I don't have this problem.
Avatar for LarryCrutchley
Feb 3, 2021 11:16 PM CST
Maryland
Irises
ElPolloDiablo,
That is very interesting.
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  • Started by: Sdpluth
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