Description of the red-fleshed apple variety Red Chief
Content
History and description of the variety
The Red Chief apple tree is a fall-bearing variety, developed in America by cloning the much more popular Red Delicious. The cloning process itself was conducted in Clay County, West Virginia. Some insist that the Red Chief variety was unintentional—it arose as a result of accidental seeding after crossing the Golden Reinet and Grims Golden. This apple tree was introduced to the market in 1914.
This variety is distinguished by its fairly early fruiting rate – the first harvests can be obtained within two years after planting the tree. This plant produces fruit with a ringed pattern. It's also worth noting that the fruit has a very attractive presentation, making this variety widely used commercially.
In addition, since this tree's crown is quite compact, plants can be planted at a small distance from each other without fear of them competing for nutrients or shading each other.
This plant has limited tolerance to low temperatures and drought, so additional protective measures are needed during winter and summer (during severe frosts and dry summers). With proper care, the tree will produce quite abundant harvests. Red Chief ripens towards the end of September, and Elstar, Gloster, and Golden Delicious can be used as pollinators for this variety.
Main characteristics
The trees of this apple tree are not particularly large—they are relatively weak growers. The crown is rounded and compact, making it suitable for close planting with other plants of this variety.
The fruits of this tree are quite large, weighing on average between 180 and 200 grams. They are slightly conical and somewhat elongated in shape, with five small "mounds" forming at the top.
The skin has a greenish-yellow hue, but because the fruit's outer skin is bright red and spreads across the entire surface, this is difficult to notice. The apple's surface is covered with a fairly thick and dense waxy coating, easily visible on the fruit's surface.
The apples' flesh is a pleasant creamy color, medium firm, and not too juicy. It has a very pleasant aroma, and the flavor is sweet, with virtually no sour notes. The tasting score is quite high—a whopping 4.8 points. Furthermore, many consumers note the excellent taste of the fruit, calling it incredibly delicious. Apples contain a large amount of sugars and not too much acid, and also contain sufficient amounts of vitamin C.
Advantages and disadvantages
The Red Chief apple tree has many advantages, which is why gardeners from all over the world choose it for growing on their plots.
- Firstly, the fruits have high characteristics: they have a very sweet, rich taste, which, moreover, has been highly rated by experts.
- Secondly, apples have a fairly long shelf life – they can be stored until February without the need for any additional equipment.
- Thirdly, the fruit has a very attractive appearance – a bright red blush over the entire surface of the apple gives it an excellent marketable appearance.
- In addition, Red Chief fruits have good transportability, as well as resistance to various mechanical damage.
- Finally, this plant has good resistance to fire blight and powdery mildew.
Of course, there are some drawbacks. These include the plant's poor adaptability to cultivation and a high risk of scab, bitter spot, rot, and vitreous flesh. However, with timely preventative measures and proper care, all these drawbacks can be minimized. Then, the Red Chief apple tree will delight you with delicious, sweet fruit for many years to come.
Video "Rules for Growing Apples"
This video will teach you how to properly plant and grow apples.