Carolina Red June (Malus domestica “Carolina Red June”) is an old apple variety that is thought to have originated in Tennessee in the early 1800s. The apple was called by a host of other names over the years, such as Jones Early Harvest, Sheepnose Crab, Blush June Red, and Red Juneating. The tree is valuable because of its full-flavored, early ripening fruits.
Fruits
Carolina Red June produces smaller than ordinary fruits which may be round, somewhat oblong or conical. Fruits boast a dark red skin and fine-grained white flesh which may stain with red following skin is broken. Unusual for early ripening fruit, the fruit from this Carolina Red June includes a crisp, complex flavor that tastes best when eaten fresh off the tree. The fruit has been popular for apple pies and cider.
Yield
Carolina Red June apple tree ripens early in the season, generally in late June or early July. Fruits are highly productive when cared for properly. Unlike most other apple trees, the Carolina Red June produces a second, smaller stack of apples in the fall. The apples are honest keepers which do not last particularly long in the fridge. If you want to store the apples, then keep them in a crisper drawer away from vegetables.
Care
Apple trees do best in a sunny area with well-draining dirt that is set well away from buildings, tall trees and other structures which cast shade. To get a harvest of high-quality apples, then pick some apples off the tree to permit the rest of the fruit lots of room to grow. There should be between 4 to 6 inches between every fruit. This not only guarantees better-quality fruit, but a possible drop in disease and pest attacks.
Issues
Carolina Red June is very susceptible to apple scab and rust. Apple scab causes lesions on leaves and fruits which eventually turn into corky growths. When heavily infected, the tree may drop its apples prematurely. Rust causes bright orange lesions on leaves and young fruits. Both diseases are brought on by fungus and may be treated by regular applications of fungicide. Pruning dead and diseased branches in the tree will help prevent fungal diseases, as this allows air to circulate better and dry the wet, fungus-attracting leaf.