These two cultivars should be grown in regions where best quality can be achieved. McIntosh should be confined to areas of the province that are capable of producing the well coloured firm fruit that the market demands. The new cultivars on the scene such as Braeburn, Elstar, Fuji, Gala and Jonagold, hold promise for some growers if they can get into immediate production. Some apple marketers in Ontario have indicated that growers should not get left behind on these new cultivars if our market is to resist imports. However, regardless of cultivar, count size apples are slowly dominating the Ontario market.
All growers require a cultivar mix that can be harvested sequentially at the proper time.
Every attempt must be made to assure fruit is produced. To allow for effective pollination, a minimum of 1 in 10 trees should be a compatible pollen source. An effective pollenizing cultivar is one that is a consistent bloomer every year, and has a large amount of viable pollen. It should bloom at the same time as the cultivar to be pollinated. The presence of 3 cultivars allows the pollen requirements of all 3 to be met even though one has nothing viable to contribute.