Stratifying Apple Seeds, Cross of Redlove™ Era™ X Urban Apple™ Blushing Delight.™ 11.29.2021

This Spring, I protected some flowers of Redlove™ Era™ and Urban Apple™ Blushing Delight™. I pollinated the Era™ with pollen from the Blushing Delight™. Actually, the Urban Apple™ was mislabled, the one I bought was Tasty Red™ but the apple is clearly Blushing Delight™. One ripe apple resulted from that cross. I kept it in the garage for 2 months and just got around to cutting it today. The long keeping didn't hurt it a bit. I think the flavor is better. Still pretty tart, almost lemony with berry flavor.

To make typing easier, I'll call the first "RLE" and the second one "BD". I think it could be a good choice, because RLE has such deep red internal and external color, and BD is considered disease resistant, is columnar, and has nice large, sweet apples. I placed them in moist paper towel, then into a zipper plastic bag and into the fridge. A four month stratification would mean I can plant them about April 1. It's interesting, one apple had so many seeds. I expected five. The goal, as before, is a columnar tree with red flesh apples. I will use leaf color to help with selection - I think red leaves on an apple indicate red flesh although some red flesh apples do have green leaves.