Apples: News, 2026
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Events and our Leicestershire Heritage Apples news are on our Leicester Heritage Apples page. Note that we put updates at the TOP. This page is for more general news about apples.
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CONVERTING SOME TREES TO BETTER VARIETIES: TOP-WORKING
I have three trees, grown from the seeds of a redfleshed apple (MM106 x Bienrode) which are extremely vigorous; they are 12 years old and have never formed any flowers or fruit. I was about to grub them; they were strating to turn into monsters - then realized it might make more sense to convert them to useful varieties. I've therefore removed all of the large branches, and am in the process of cleft-grafting (and whip&tongue grafting) into the smaller upright branches; they are all about half an inch in diamter. I'm adding about twenty grafts of four of our best own-bred seedlings (two whitefleshed, two redfleshed) on the frameworks. It will be interesting to see what happens.
Some pictures are shown below. I can't melt wax on the plot (it's too windy) so to seal the grafts I'm using lac balsam instead, applying it with a paintbrush. Click the thumbnails below for clearer pictures.
SOLVED - ROTE MOND & WEIROUGE
Rote Mond and Weirouge, two red-fleshed apples well-known to collectors, are the same variety.
I've just found a paper which relates the history of how they are connected.
"During World War II, the red-fleshed apple tree was introduced from Ukraine to Germany. This was either a local form or one of the varieties of the Michurin selection, grown in Germany under the name ‘Rote Mond’ and patented as ‘Weirouge’ in 1997 (Sadilova et al., 2006; Pomiferous, 2021).
Baya Marisa (also known as Tickled Pink - Ed) is the result of Michael Neumüller’s
crossing of the ‘Weirouge’ with the ‘Kreuzung’ (a tasteful ‘Zuchtklon
166’) and is released by the Bavarian Fruit Center, Hallbergmoos. "
(Ref: An overview of the red-fleshed apple: History and its importance for horticulturists, gardeners, nurserymen, and consumers V. M. Mezhenskyj, D. V. Pyshcholka, L. O. Mezhenska, O. S. Havryliuk National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine. [Biosyst. Divers., 2024, 32(1)]
23 Feb 26
APPLE TASTING VIDEOS
We have filmed five more apple videos so far this season; due to circumstances beyond our control we were rather late starting, but we are making up for it now. I did one video with Alison on Leicestershire varieties, and have done several with Julie Drake with more 'international' apples. The links are below:
Apple Tasting 4 Late Apples, 18 Dec 2025
Apple Tasting 3 Late Apples, 25 Nov 2025
Apple Tasting 2, More Late Midseason Apples, 5 Nov 2025
Apple Tasting 1a, Leicestershire Varieties, 12 Oct 2025
Apple Tasting 1, Late Midseason, 3 Nov 2025
3 Jan 26
