You are here.
Cultivars
The apple cultivar situation is changing rapidly across the country and within Pennsylvania. While the 2002 Pennsylvania Tree Fruit Survey indicates that Delicious and Golden Delicious are the state’s two leading cultivars, several new cultivars are being widely planted.
Consider thoroughly which cultivars to plant. The first consideration is to determine how you intend to sell the fruit. Roadside markets, pick your own, and, to some extent, wholesale fresh market growers all need a continual supply of products. Therefore, it is important to choose cultivars that will accommodate an extended marketing period.
Information about various cultivars and their ripening sequences can be found in nursery catalogs. However, you should avoid being carried away by claims about a strain or cultivar—remember that nurseries are in the business of selling fruit trees. New to this edition of this guide is the addition of Table 1-6B, which lists the parentage, place of origin, and synonyms for many of the traditional apple cultivars grown throughout the United States as well as some of the newer, experimental cultivars.
The cultivar market has recently changed with the release of cultivars that have restrictions on the sale of the trees and/or the fruit. “Club” or “controlled supply” cultivars have been established to control oversupply in the market and enhance the dollar return to the grower. These restrictions can take multiple forms. Some cultivars are restricted geographically by only allowing certain areas to grow the fruit. Some are restricted by marketing constraints where the fruit must meet a minimum quality standard to be labeled. Finally, some cultivars may be restricted by only allowing a certain number of trees to be propagated, thereby controlling the overall supply of the fruit. Pacific Rose™ and Jazz™ are two club cultivars that require the grower to pay an “entrance fee”—purchase the trees then pay a percentage of the gross returns to a marketing firm. Kiku Fuji is another club cultivar that has no entrance fee, but in order to label the fruit Kiku Fuji, they must be graded to specific standards. Common current apple cultivars grown in the United States or Canada that are managed in some form include Pink Lady™, Tentation™ (Delblush), Cameo™, Honeycrunch™ (Honeycrisp), Ambrosia™, Piñata™, Jazz™, Sundowner™, Aurora Golden Gala, and New York 674.
Before setting out large plantings of a new strain or cultivar, always plant a few trees on a trial basis. Also try to visit or talk to growers who may already have bearing fruit of a particular cultivar.
Many of the new cultivars are being introduced from Europe, New Zealand, and Japan. The marketplace is shifting, with more emphasis on taste and quality. Produce managers are looking for different color combinations to use in displaying apples. Following are comments from around the country on some of the newer cultivars being planted. Additional information can be found in Table 1-6, and pictures of many of the cultivars can be seen on the Web at http://tfpg.cas.psu.edu, under “Apple Cultivars.” The harvest dates suggested in the table should produce apples with the most flavor. These periods will probably not coincide with harvest dates that are optimal for extended storage. For more information on harvesting for storage, refer to Part VI, Harvest and Postharvest Handling. The following are brief synopses of some of the more prominent cultivars.
