Kitchen Garden Forum

Just wondering if anyone has any experience of this variety of apple? It is shown in one of the Lakeland catalogues and I am sure it said they were sent from Suttons, but I can't see them on their website although a google search brings up a result indicating that they once were?

I haven't tried it Elle, but it is a cross between Gala and Braeburn apples which may give a clue to what it is like. The chap who developed it develops fruit for home gardeners not supermarkets/farmers

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-10671631

Elle, This variety is in the latest Dobies catalogue.

Hi NB,
I rather think that you are going to be disappointed with this.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... elves.html

Nobody produces an apple for gardeners in fact I would go as far as to say nobody produces anything for gardeners. Gardeners get the spin offs from commercial activity.
A brief look on Google will tell you that there is a worlwide marketing effort going on right now with this apple.
JB.

Originally Markus Kobert had his own site, and claimed that was the philosophy behind his work and development with fruit Johnboy, however I can't find the original site again, he did appear on a video talking about several kinds of fruit including the redlove apple, also showed a gold raspberry and how to prune it to get 2 crops a year It seems things have changed.

Mmm, thanks guys, I think before I spend that kind of money on an apple tree I will make sure I like the future fruits, otherwise I would be very silly! I am not a fan of Gala apples either.

I looked them up a few weeks ago and it said they were out of stock at the moment but would be available later in the year. It would be good if we could actually taste one - a home grown one - before investing in a new tree. I had a Royal Gala apple tree and they tasted so much better than shop bought ones. They were sweet and juicy and a much better texture. It was unfortunately prone to scab and canker though and was eventually removed.

I bought one this year and it looks quite OK. Very late leafing up in the spring compared to my other trees but that could be that it is young. It is about 4 ft high now and is really compact the branches seem to grow upwards not out so if it stays like that I may be able to squeeze another one in.
Obviously no fruit this year so can't comment on the taste but looking forward to red juice - maybe a little drop next year. I pre-ordered from suttons when first advertised. It has a tag on it that says 'protected variety and trademark; commercial use not allowed'. It is Redlove Era.

Westi

Hi Westi,

I look forward to your review if you get to taste one next year!

I am intrigued by your comment regarding the tag preventing commercial use - one of the articles about the Redlove apples mentioned that groves were being planted across Europe to bring the apples into supermarkets in the next five years? I wonder if it is a UK restriction only?

Hi Elle,
The warning is all part and parcel of Plant Breeders Rights.
You are permitted under these rights to produce a tree using scions from that tree but for your own use only. You are not allowed to enter into any transactions with anything that you manage to produce.
This is generally on a worldwide basis and not just common to the UK.
JB.

Thanks for the explanation JB,