Growing Apples

Before apple trees are selected for planting in the home garden, the following question should be considered:

Why do I want to plant apple trees?

Are the trees required primarily for fruit production, for shade, or for ornamental purposes? If the trees are needed for shade and ornamental purposes, there is a great selection of ornamental trees and shrubs that will prove more effective and much less troublesome than apple trees.

Description of Apple Tree Varieties

Summer Apples

Gingergold

Yellow skinned, large fruit that matures between Sunrise and Gala.

Silken

An early (mid-August) apple with soft yellow to whitish skin color. Flesh is crisp sweet and juicy. Annual bearer. Fruit has a short storage life. The tree is small. Developed at Summerland.

Sunrise

This is a cross of McIntosh x Golden Delicious developed at Summerland. Fruit has a bright red color with a pale yellow background. Flesh is crisp with an unique pear-grape flavor. Ripens 2 weeks before Gala. Short storage life. Immune to Apple Scab; resistant to Powdery Mildew. Winter hardy to –40 C (40F) zone 3.

Early Season Apples

Gala (Royal)

This is a cross Golden Delicious x Cox’s Orange Pippin. Skin is red-orange color. Crisp, dense, aromatic flesh. Excellent quality. It is a good keeper. Tree is large and vigorous. Fruit ripens in September. Hardy Zone 4. This variety was developed in New Zealand.

McIntosh

An old variety from eastern Canada introduced in 1870. It is still popular here and across Canada. We grow a selection called Summerland Red McIntosh. Fruit is medium to large and attractively colored. Thin skin. Flesh is sweet with a delicious aroma. Excellent for fresh eating, good for cooking. The tree bears young, annually, and abundantly. Partly self-fertile. Ripens in September. Hardy to zone 4.

Mid-Season Apples

Golden Delicious

Introduced in 1900. Fruit is large, conic, golden yellow. Flesh is firm, crisp and juicy. Mild sweet flavor. High quality. Thin skinned. Fruit bruises easily. Partly self-fertile. Good for cross-pollinating other varieties. Ripens from mid-September. Hardy to zone 5.

Ambrosia

Discovered as a whole tree sport in BC in early 1990. Fruit is medium to large. Skin color is up to 80% total red with a distinctive pink- red blush. Fruit shape is conic. Fruit is sweet, crisp, juicy and aromatic. Fruit matures between Spartan and Red Delicious. Nursery stock is becoming more readily available.

Chinook

A cross of Gala and Splendour. Developed at Summerland. Fruit is small to medium sized. Colour is pink-red with a yellow background. Matures just before Fuji. The fruit is sweet, juicy and crisp. The tree has low vigor.

Creston

A yellow skinned mid-season apple with red stripes, large, sweet and juicy.

Honeycrisp

Developed at the University of Minnesota in 1991 from a cross of Macoun X Honeygold. Skin is mottled red over yellow ground color. Flesh is very crisp. Excellent quality. Better than McIntosh and Red Delicious for fresh eating. Ripens in late September . Tree is an annual bearer and is hardy to zone 3. Nursery stock is in short supply.

Jonagold

A cross of Jonathan X Golden Delicious, developed in New York State in 1968. Fruit is normally large and red striped over bright yellow. Flesh is firm and juicy. Superb full rich flavor. The finest dessert and eating quality. Jonagold is a triploid variety. It needs a pollinator and will not pollinate other varieties. It is susceptible to Apple scab and Powdery Mildew. Ripens from mid-September. Tree is hardy to zone 5.

Liberty

Resistant to Apple Scab, Fire blight and Powdery Mildew. Trees are productive, but fruit size can be small. Fruit is redder, firmer and sweeter than Empire.

Red Delicious

Good red colour with an elongated shape. Fruit is sweet and juicy.

Spartan

Developed at Summerland in 1936 from a cross of McIntosh X Newton. Fruit is medium sized. Skin is dark red, almost mahogany. Flesh is pure white, firmer than McIntosh, highly aromatic with a fine flavor. Superb for fresh eating. Tree is annually productive. It is an excellent pollinator for Jonagold. Ripens in mid-September. Tree is hardy.

Late Season Varieties

Braeburn

Originated in New Zealand in 1952. Fruit is medium to large. Color is red on a greenish-yellow background. It is not a highly colored variety. Flesh is firm, crisp and juicy. Flavor is sweet, tart and aromatic. Like Jonagold, Braeburn is a triploid, So it needs a pollinator and will not pollinate other varieties. Fruit ripens in late October. Tree is hardy to zone 6. Tree is susceptible to Apple Scab, Powdery Mildew and Fire Blight.

Fuji

Developed in Japan in 1962 from a cross of Ralls Janet X Delicious. Fruit appearance is poor. Fruit is medium to large. Flesh is crisp, juicy with a fine texture. Flavor is mild, sweet and aromatic. Ripens in mid to late October. Tree is vigorous and precocious. Can be biennial bearing. Hardy to zone 6.

Granny Smith

Originally from Australia in 1868. Fruit is medium to large. Skin color is grass green with white lenticels and often a dull red blush. Flesh is firm and resistant to bruising. Flavor is tart with some sweetness. Fruit matures in early to mid-October. Tree is vigorous and early bearing. Hardy to zone 5.

*Note – Most garden center’s have many other varieties of apples. Other apple varieties of limited interest are: Cameo/Carousel, Earligold, Elstar, Empire and Fiesta.

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