A strain is a known cultivar that differs in some way from the natural vegetative characteristics of the original cultivar. The difference may be in fruit color development, fruit maturity or growth habit. For example ‘Daybreak Fuji’ is an early maturing strain of ‘Fuji’. ‘Super Chief Delicious’ is a strain of ‘Red Chief Delicious’. For some cultivars, there are hundreds of strains that have been found over the years, some of which are no longer commercially available as better strains …
How do I know when it is the right time to pick an apple cultivar?
Time of harvest depends on the intended use of the apples. Apples that will be consumed immediately can be left on the tree longer than those intended for cold storage. Generally, fruit can be harvested from the tree over a couple of weeks. Fruit that drops from the tree is usually over ripe. To determine the approximate time of harvest, check a fruit tree nursery catalog or their web site for a list of harvest dates for various cultivars. These …