I have never heard this about an Anna. My Annas don't bloom continuously, nor do any of the Annas in my area (N. San Diego County, California). In fact, I am not aware of any apple tree variety that will bloom almost continuously. Lemon trees will do this, but not apple trees. I'd love to know where you read that, I have never come across any info that describes Annas this way. Annas are very early, though (in full bloom at my house right now). And, in very low chill areas like where I live, I have found out that they can often have a second, smaller bloom break in the late Fall/eary Winter. This happened to me with my Anna which had 3 tiny little apples ready to pick in December (and were really, really sweet). For me, my Annas are a wee bit earlier than the Dorsett Golden I have, but hopefully as they both mature, they'll bloom closer together. Anna is self-fruitful, but it will bear more heavily and the apples will be rounder and fuller with a cross-pollinator. So, don't really need a cross-pollinator, I was just hoping my existing Anna that is in a really bad location (way too much shade) would have a larger crop with a cross-pollinator. I'm going to move it this December - I waited too long to move it as it is now in bloom - so it will eventually provide more fruit once it gets more sun. Patty S.

I know, Applenut :-( When we purchased this home, and the previous owners showed me where they espaliered this lovely little Anna (they wire used to pull the branches down were embedded into the branches, I cringed), it was up against the house on the north side! I didn't have time to dig it up in January, and find a new home, because where it needs to go isn't ready, yet, to take the tree. So, it has to stay there until I get the lower part of my yard landscaped. It's starting tomorrow, in fact!! I've got a nice spot on the east fence that should get some great sunshine all day long until the very late afternoon. It will be MUCH happier and healthier over there, along with the other Anna and the Dorsett Golden. Now to get the Dorsett Golden and the Annas to bloom at the same time. My Dorsett still hasn't bloomed. the one Anna I have (which is ridiculously precocious) has a TON of lovely little skinny, non-cross pollinated apples on it! My other espaliered Anna looks like it will also have quite a few apples. Now - to keep the #@$%* rats out of my trees. I've armed myself with several bait stations. I am declaring war on the Root Rats. Last year, they ate every single one of my 20 apples off my little espaliered Anna. That I babied and tried to protect. I'm done being a nice guy. I'm poisoning the little bast##ds. Patty S.

Tina, Nick maybe likes the taste of the Anna apple, it is a little bit tart but crispy. When younger I would go for that kind of flavors, you can eat it as a fresh apple for sure. And that one tree it was the only apple that I had and like I said it was very productive! I did ask at the nursery where I bought that question because I only wanted to plant one of each category of fruit. And I agree with you, growing in the cooler months it is more efficient for the veggies and us, it is getting hot and it seems that the plants are always thirsty,:) As long as you keep the sweet potatoes alive when young they will make it and won't need water as often later on, they will grow even in the cooler months and as long as you save some potatoes, you will never have to buy a sweet potato again. When I saved the black jungle butterbeans they were the only ones that I was growing because after the season is out with the pole beans, I plant the butterbeans, the original owner of the beans Harry said the same thing, I really don't know if they will cross or not. A lot of the papayas that are grown these days are hybrids and they are very easy to cross pollinate if another one is growing nearby, that is one reason that I don't save any papaya seeds, I rather buy the seeds and be sure of the variety that I am growing. I bought a new variety of sweet potato and a dwarf papaya at Echo, if I like them I will grow them again. And I have new winter squash coming up one is blue kuri and the other is red kuri, the big pumpkin is almost ready, it is huge! Blue kuri winter squash I will be planting okra, black jungle butterbeans, maybe the red noodle yard long beans if I have space, soon I am going to get hit with the tomato season. The hearts that I am growing have been ripening now and they are good! And every day I am looking to give away beans, cucumber, summer squash and peppers, my small garden produces more than we can eat. And Nick will love the sword bean, he can show his friends, just remember they can only be eaten when not mature before they developed beans, it is a fun vine to grow! My vine where I have cucumbers, peppers and eggplants is getting huge and flowering some very pretty flowers, it is a perennial, but I don't know if I will keep it, it will be good once the cucumbers are done. Silvia

When we bought this house there was an existing apple. One of those with several varieties grafted onto it. Definitely had fire blight. We tore it out and burned it. Happily it wasn't near the big old Anna. No blight there. I'm glad you found out what the problem was and can start fresh. Good luck with your new trees. I hope your wife is good with apples because you are going to have them coming out your ears! She will need an apple corer, peeler and slicer all in one. I got mine on Amazon and it has a suction thing so it sticks to the counter while it's being turned.