Akane was bred in Japan, from a cross of Jonathan x Worcester Pearmain, and released in 1970. This is really an international apple, it is very popular in France, bred in Asia from American and English apples! It is a mid-season apple, very nicely colored, considered hardy to zone 4. The apples don't drop for a few weeks after optimum harvest date. Also, it colors early and could easily be picked before maturity. Many writers mention this is a good apple for organic orcharding as it is quite resistant to scab.

Picture of Akane, from Claude's orchard, picture taken 16 September 2006, apples just picked. Maximum size is 70 mm across.

GROWER COMMENTS:

Claude Jolicoeur, Quebec, Zone 4

I grafted Akane as a branch in one of my Cortland trees in 1994 and it bore first fruits in 1997. I think this is a very nice apple with an exceptional taste and flavor. In my unsprayed orchard, the fruit was always clean of scab. However, in 2003 it did suffer from the cold, and again in 2004. After that, the grafted branch never recovered and started suffering from canker - it finally died in 2007... I still have a young graft going in another tree that started fruiting last year. Hopefully this one will survive longer!

hgforganicapples, Brian Caldwell, New York, Zone 5 
I have not had any hardiness problems with Akane here. In fact, it's blossoms appear to be more frost tolerant than most of my other varieties. This year we had 26 degrees in one orchard during bloom and Akane set a near-full crop. This is after a heavy crop last year. It is worth noting that the two bearing Akane trees in this orchard are both grafted onto wild trees, which still comprise half of the tree canopies.
In my other orchard, Akane is a shy bearer. In this orchard the trees are normal single variety trees. The foliage of Akane is a bit yellowish. I wonder if the leaves are somehow less efficient, leading to lower productivity?? In the half-Akane trees in the other orchard which bear well, the non-Akane leaves may be doing a better job of feeding the trees. The quality of the fruit from the heavier-bearing trees is lower, but insect and disease pressure is also higher in that orchard. I notice that Akane does seem to be prone to a summer rot.
I am topworking more trees over to Akane.

• Tweet
• SHARE