Summer Rambo trees very popular with small farmers

Writer’s block, that total blank a writer draws, hits the humble and the mighty alike. Working on the first novel in what would become a blockbuster series, author David Morrel could not come up with a rough-and-tumble name for the hero.  Then his wife brought home greenish-yellow apples with dull red stripes.  Soon the character had a name, named after the ancient variety of apples with the melodious name Rambo.  

There are two apples, the Rambo and the Summer Rambo, that could have been the namesake of our hero, but more than likely it is the Summer Rambo apple, one of the oldest apple varieties.  The plain Rambo apple is no longer cultivated.

One of the joys of apple trees is the showy flowers in early spring.  In May the Summer Rambo bursts into bloom with the tree covered in white blossoms with a pink tinge to them.

The Summer Rambo dates back to 16th century France, but has been grown in America since Colonial times.

The Summer Rambo, as its name might hint, ripens in the summer, usually July or early August in most areas. Its fruits are flat, large, with a bright yellow-green skin with light red stripes. When it first ripens it does best as applesauce, but let it hang on the tree a little longer and it is a delicious apple to eat out of hand when you can appreciate its slightly tart yet crisp flavor. That slightly tart edge makes for wonderful apple juice and cider.  Like most summer apples, the Summer Rambo does not keep well, one of the reasons it is not more widely grown. Summer Rambo trees are still very popular with small farmers who sell fruit at roadside stands.  

Trees are available from many sources, including Trees of Antiquity (www.treesofantiquity.com), Boyer Nurseries (405 Boyer Nursery Road, Biglerville, PA 17307 or 717-677-8558) or Stark Brothers Nurseries (www.starkbros.com, 800-325-4180).

Choose a well-drained site in full sun for your Summer Rambo tree.  Because it is not self fertile, you will need another apple variety nearby for pollination.  Luckily crabapple and flowering ornamental apple trees will work fine.  Soak the apple tree roots in a bucket of water for two or three hours, not more than six hours. Dig a hole deep and wide enough to fit all of the roots without bending or breaking them.  Firmly pack the soil down to avoid air pockets. Most apple trees are grafted onto a different apple tree rootstock. Be sure that the graft union, usually a bump in the trunk, is above the soil line. Do not apply any fertilizer when planting or you may encourage weak, rapid growth.

So plant a Summer Rambo tree and in a few short years you can crunch on your summer apple and ponder about an action character named after an apple.  Just think, it could have been John Granny Smith.