In order of Harvest

Summer Varieties

SUNRISE

Maturity Season: Early season, mid August to early September in BC.

Harvest Criteria: Based on ripe eating taste and background colour change from green to cream/yellow.

Fruit Description: Medium to large in size. Taste is sweet and sub-acid. Skin color is pinkish/red blush and stripes over a cream/ yellow ground. Flesh is white to cream in color.

Tree Description: Vigorous, spurry and fairly precocious.

Production: Very productive and precocious. A multiple pick variety.

Strains: None

Advantages: Early season bi-color apple.

Disadvantages: Storage life is very short. Marketing period is limited to pre-Gala timing. For niche markets only. Susceptible to apple scab.

Storage: Very short, direct sales only.

Planting Trends: Current planting considered adequate. Planting in later areas will be limited to direct sales as normal retail trade will not take Sunrise once Galas are available

Comments: Market acceptability is limited. Use caution if planning on planting this variety. Niche market only.

 

GALA

Maturity Season: Early Season, Late August to mid September in BC.

Harvest Criteria: Based on starch conversion and ground color change from green to creamy-white color. Starch charts are available.

Fruit Description: Taste is sweet and sub-acid with distinctive aromatics. Skin color is 40 to 90% orange red blush, stripes and flecks over cream yellow ground. Creamy yellow flesh is firm, crisp and juicy.

Tree Description: Vigorous, spurry and fairly precocious. Wood is very brittle. Caution is advised when manipulating branches during tree training.

Bloom and Pollination: Can have an extended blossom period.

Production: Very productive. This variety needs prompt and adequate thinning to ensure good fruit size. Fruit on over-cropped trees may not mature in a timely manner. Royal and Imperial are multiple pick varieties. New strains may be 1 or 2 pick varieties.

Strains & Standard Sports: Royal and Imperial,

New high Color Sports; Davison Gala, Brookfield, Olsen two (Pacific), Gales, Galaxy, Mitchgla

There are many sports and strains. Contact you field person for recommendations. Buckeye and some other blush strains are not recommended.

Advantages: World known variety, accepted as a commodity type apple.  BC can produce high quality fruit. Annual cropping

Disadvantages: World production of Gala is increasing. Royal and Imperial are multiple pick varieties. Fruit size can be small. Susceptible to powdery mildew, apple scab and fire blight.

Storage: 3 1/2 months in air

Perhaps 6 months in CA

Planting Trends: Increasing in North America and the World. High colored one pick strains and sports dominate plantings.

 

MCINTOSH

Maturity Season: Early September in BC, with or just after Gala. 

Harvest Criteria: Dependent on the change to red in the skin over-color. Lack of red color will reduce the packout.

Fruit Description: Taste is sweet/tart and unique. Skin color is red blush over green ground. Flesh is white.

Tree Description: Moderately vigorous, and moderately precocious.

Production: Moderately productive and precocious. Needs prompt and adequate thinning to ensure fruit size. 1 to 2 picks.

Strains: There are many strains but Summerland Red Mac and VK71 a new high coloured sport are probably the most widely planted.

Advantages: “Mac” is an established variety in Canada and has a consumer following.

Disadvantages: Attaining adequate color can be a problem with standard Mac.  Storage life is short.  Stored fruit can lose pressure quickly resulting in a short shelf life.  This variety is subject to stem punctures and bruising at harvest. Care in handling is essential.  Suffers from pre-harvest drop.  Susceptible to scab, mildew and fire blight

Storage: Short, about 8 weeks in 1°C air. Longer in CA

Planting Trends: Declining rapidly, current production is adequate.

Comments: While market acceptability is known over production and poor storage qualities may result in low returns. Use caution if planning on planting this variety.

 

HONEYCRISP

Canadian Plant Breeders’ Right 1007

Maturity Season: Early Season, slightly after McIntosh in BC.

Harvest Criteria: Based on skin color, fruit pressure and starch conversion. The fruit can be very slow in developing over-color. Excess nitrogen can inhibit fruit coloring.

Fruit Description: Taste is sweet and sub-acid. Skin color can be 40 to 90% pink red blush and/or stripes over green/yellow ground. Creamy yellow flesh is firm, crisp and juicy. Fruit has a dull finish and a dimpled appearance.

Tree Description: Non-vigorous, spurry and fairly precocious. Growth is very weak after fruiting commences. Leaf mottling and some leaf edge necrosis are inherent in the variety. Tree is very cold hardy, perhaps up to -40°C. Reports of extreme biennial bearing.

Production: Moderately productive. Can be very biennial. Can suffer preharvest drop.

Strains: LJ1000 is a high coloured sport of standard Honeycrisp, all attributes other than enhanced colour appear to be the same when grown on test trees in Summerland.  Fruit colours early and well in this location relative to standard Honeycrisp.  A per-tree-royalty is due on this cultivar as it is protected by Canadian PBR.

Advantages: New variety that is getting a good reputation for eating quality in the world.  Some promotion of the variety has occurred in the world. Very limited plantings in BC.

Disadvantages: Can be very biennial.

Achieving color on the fruit can be difficult

Fruit size and appearance are very unstable

Keeping fruit size down to an acceptable level can be a problem.  Bitter pit in large fruit.  Tree is susceptible to mildew.  Fruit is susceptible to soft scald in storage

Reports of internal browning in stored fruit

Storage: 3 1/2 months in air

Perhaps 6 months in CA

Planting Trends: Increasing in North America and the World. Slow increase of plantings in BC.

Comments: This variety has many challenges that growers may or may not be able or willing to overcome. A world-wide program to remedy some of the challenges has been undertaken. Honeycrisp is more suited to cooler areas such as the North Okanagan. Caution is advised when considering planting this variety.

 

GOLDEN DELICIOUS

Maturity Season: Mid to late September in BC.

Harvest Criteria: Harvest by starch conversion. Starch conversion charts are available. Do not use color as a harvest indicator.

Fruit Description: The taste is sweet and slightly tart. Skin color is green/yellow with no over color. The flesh is white to cream in color.

Tree Description: Vigorous, productive and precocious.

Production: Very productive and precocious. Needs prompt and adequate thinning to ensure fruit size. 1 to 2 picks. Can be biennial bearing.

Strains: No specific color strains. Gibson Golden (Smoothee™) is somewhat russet resistant. Numerous spur-type clones. Spur-type clones have inferior internal quality compared to non-spur types.

Advantages: “Golden” is an established variety in the world and has a consumer following. It is the most planted yellow apple. Productive, used as pollinizer for many varieties.

Disadvantages: Skin russet can be a problem.  Some biennial bearing. Can bruise at harvest, requires care in handling.  Cannot be used to pollinate first generation off-spring e.g. Jonagold.

Storage: Long storage in CA.

Planting Trends: Declining in the last few years.

Comments: Golden Delicious production has declined worldwide in the last few years.

 

Mid Season

AMBROSIA

Maturity Season: Late September to Early October in BC.

Harvest Criteria: Harvest by starch conversion only. Ambrosia starch conversion charts are available. Do not use color as a harvest indicator. Starch in the fruit of Ambrosia converts at about 1.5 units per week. This gives Ambrosia a short harvest window

Fruit Description: The taste is sweet; the flesh is crisp, juicy and aromatic. Skin color is cream/yellow ground with distinctive 40 to 80% pink/red over-color. The over-color is blush and broad faint stripes. The flesh is white to cream in color. The fruit is very clean.

Tree Description: Moderately vigorous, and very productive and precocious. Tree is very upright and spurry. Growth in the first year after budding or grafting can be slow. Well suited to super spindle plantings.

Production: Very productive and precocious. Needs prompt and adequate thinning to ensure fruit size. 1 to 2 picks. No reports of biennial bearing. Over cropped trees or trees treated with excessive nitrogen result in poor colored fruit with low storability.

Strains: None

Advantages: Ambrosia is a new cultivar creating grower, buyer, and consumer interest. The fruit is easy to harvest and packs well. Release of the variety in the world will be under controlled planting and production agreements. Growers are committed to promoting this variety.

Disadvantages: Short harvest window.

Storage: Moderate storage life in air, good storage in CA or DCA.

Planting Trends: Significant plantings and production in BC. No further plantings recommended at this time.

 

SPARTAN

Maturity Season: Mid Season, mid to late September to early October in BC.

Harvest Criteria: Based on starch conversion and red over-color

Fruit Description: Medium to large in size, globose in shape. Taste is sweet/tart, and distinctive. Skin color is 90 to 100% dark red blush over green ground. The white flesh is crisp and juicy.

Tree Description: Vigorous, spreading tree habit and fairly precocious. No spur types recognized. Has some blind wood.

Production: Moderately productive. 1 pick.

Strains: None

Advantages: Long storage life. BC grows very high quality Spartans. Very few other growing areas produce Spartan.  Attaining color is usually not a problem. 1 pick.

Disadvantages: Blind wood can be a problem.  Needs adequate thinning to maintain fruit size.  Needs adequate light penetration to maintain high fruit color. Very few other growing areas produce Spartan.  Historically, selling agencies have been able to maintain the price and market for the amount of Spartan grown in BC, however the last few years have seen declining returns.

Storage: Fruit has been stored for long periods in CA. Up to 9 months.

Planting Trends: Stable in BC.

Comments: Spartan breakdown in storage can be controlled with Calcium dips. Avoid excessive nitrogen applications.

 

FUJI

Maturity Season: Late Season, mid to late October in BC. With Braeburn. 

Harvest Criteria: Based on starch conversion, taste and red over-color.

Fruit Description: Taste is sweet with little acid, and distinctive. Skin color is 25 to 50% pink/red blush over green/yellow ground. The white/cream flesh is firm, crisp and juicy.

Tree Description: Moderate vigor, non-spurry habit and very precocious. Can exhibit biennial bearing. Can be difficult to train.

Production: Moderately productive but can bear biennially.

Strains: Many strains; Fuji BC 2 are the most common in BC.  Newer sports include: Fuji 97 and Aztec.

Advantages: Unique taste has a consumer following.  World class apple.  Good storage potential.  

Disadvantages: Can have a very long growing season.  Production in China is expanding rapidly.  Achieving color can be a problem.  Fruit can exhibit skin russeting, sunscald, and watercore.

Storage: Good with very good CA potential and long shelf life

Planting Trends: Stable in BC and the world with the exception of China. Some interest in new strains. Only newer, high coloured sports should be planted.

Comments: The production of Fuji in China has scared a lot of growers off planting Fuji. Caution is advised in planting this variety.

 

GRANNYSMITH

Maturity Season: Late Season, mid to late October in BC. with Braeburn, often picked earlier. “The time to pick is when the price is right”. 

Harvest Criteria: Based on starch conversion, taste and market availability.

Fruit Description: Medium to large in size, round in shape. Taste is distinctively tart with some sweetness. Skin color green with conspicuous white lenticels. The white flesh is firm, crisp and juicy.

Tree Description: Vigorous, slightly weeping in habit, and precocious. Has a tendency to tip bear.

Production: Very productive.

Strains: Regular Granny Smith is the only strain worth planting. Spur type Granny’s are very inferior in fruit quality.

Advantages: Unique taste has a consumer following.  World class apple.  Good storage potential.  Consumer acceptance has allowed Granny to maintain its market and returns

Disadvantages: Can have a very long growing season. Fruit can exhibit, sunscald, and watercore. Fruit with pink/red blush may be undesirable in the market place. Moderately susceptible to apple scab, powdery mildew and fireblight.

Storage: Good with very good CA potential and long shelf life. Storage scald may develop if picked too early.

Planting Trends: The world market for green apples is stable.

Comments: Granny Smith has maintained its market share for the last few years. Solid green fruit color may be maintained if the trees are kept vigorous and fuller than super-spindle. Some markets are rejecting fruit with blush and conspicuous white lenticels.

 

CRIPPS PINK

PINK LADY®

Maturity Season: Very late season, late October to early November; after Fuji. 

Harvest Criteria: Based on pink/red over-color.

Fruit Description: Small to medium in size, conical, long oblate in shape. Taste is tart and distinctive. Skin color is 25 to 70% pink/red blush over lime green/yellow ground. The skin of the fruit can have a dimpled (pebbled) appearance. The white/cream flesh is very firm, and somewhat dry. Fruit should be stored to achieve optimum flavor.

Tree Description: Vigorous with upright habit and moderately precocious. Can be difficult to train. Very distinctive leaves.

Bloom and Pollination: Can have very extended bloom. 

Production: Moderately productive.

Strains: None. There are sports being produced in other fruit growing areas of the world, e.g. Pink Kiss. They are not available here at this time.

Advantages: Unique taste has some consumer following. Good storage potential. May have a place in the tart apple market

Disadvantages: Can have a very long growing season. Very susceptible to fire-blight and apple scab. Achieving maturity can be a problem.  Fruit size can be small.

Sensitive to harvest and packing bruises. Tree is not grower friendly.

Storage: Good with promising CA potential and long shelf life

Planting Trends: There is demand for this variety but perhaps it should be grown in only the earliest sites.

Comments: Pink Lady® is a registered trademark in Canada. There is an international organization dedicated to the promotion of Pink Lady apples. Caution is advised for growers; this variety matures very late in the season.