Ashmead's Kernel apple trees

Ashmead's Kernel
  • Gardening skill: Average
  • Picking season: Late
  • Keeping (of fruit): 3 months or more
  • Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
  • Pollination group: 4
  • Uses: Eating fresh
  • Uses: Juice

Ashmeads Kernel is a very old traditional English russet apple. It remains popular for its distinctive pear-like flavor which is quite different from most other apple varieties.

Although often considered as a connoisseur's dessert apple, Ashmead's Kernel is actually quite versatile. It can be used for cooking, or sliced in savoury salads, and it keeps very well in a cold store.

Ashmead's Kernel is also becoming increasingly recognised for its juice, which adds an interesting fruity component to cider and hard cider blends.

Ashmead's Kernel apple trees for sale

Item
Mature height*
Price
Quantity
1-year Ashmead's Kernel apple trees bare-root
Small (6ft-9ft) mature height
$29.00
Out of stock
1-year Ashmead's Kernel apple trees bare-root
G.935 rootstock
Medium (8ft-12ft) mature height
$29.00
1-year Ashmead's Kernel apple trees bare-root
B.118, MM.106 rootstock
Large (10ft-16ft) mature height
$29.00
1-year Ashmead's Kernel apple trees bare-root
Full-size (16ft-24ft) mature height
$29.00
Out of stock

*Find out more about the apple rootstocks we use to control the mature height.


How to grow

Ashmead's Kernel is quite easy to grow, and perhaps because it is such an ancient variety, it is relatively disease resistant. It can be a light cropper and this usually caused by poor pollination at blossom time - planting another late-flowering apple tree or crab-apple tree nearby is a good idea.

Ashmead's Kernel has good winter hardiness on the right rootstock. It is one of the best-adapted of the major English apple varieties to US climate zones, including the warmer zones of the south-east and southern California.

Advice on fruit tree pollination.

Historical details

Originated in England in the 1700s, probably in Gloucestershire.

Ashmead's Kernel characteristics

Using

  • Picking season: Late
  • Uses: Eating fresh Juice
  • Cropping: Light
  • Keeping (of fruit): 3 months or more
  • Flavor style (apples): Aromatic
  • Juice style: Sweeter Sweet (cider)
  • Fruit persistence: Normal ripening

Growing

  • Gardening skill: Average
  • Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
  • Pollination group: 4
  • Pollinating others: Poor
  • Ploidy: Triploid
  • Vigour: Average vigour
  • Bearing regularity: Regular
  • Fruit bearing: Spur-bearer
  • Organic culture: Suitable

Disease resistance

  • General resistance: Good
  • Cedar apple rust: Some resistance
  • Mildew: Some resistance
  • Scab: Some resistance
  • Bitter pit: Some susceptibility

Climate

  • Cold hardiness (USDA): (4) -30F / -34C (5) -20F / -29C (6) -10F / -23C (7) 0F / -18C (8) 10F / -12C (9) 20F / -7C (10) 30F / -1C
  • Summer average maximum temperatures: Cool ( 20C - 24C / 68F - 75F) Warm (25C - 30C / 76F - 85F) Hot (>30C / 86F)

Identification

  • Country of origin: United Kingdom
  • Period of origin: 1700 - 1749
  • Fruit color: Russet
  • Awards: RHS Award of Garden Merit

Similar varieties

  • See also Egremont Russet
    Egremont Russet
    Egremont Russet is the most popular English russet variety, and a good apple tree for the garden.
  • See also Pine Golden Pippin
    Pine Golden Pippin
    A classic English russet apple from the Victorian era, notable for its pineapple-like flavor.
  • See also Saint Edmund's Russet
    Saint Edmund's Russet
    Not as well known as other russets, St. Edmund's Russet is nevertheless one of the best.