Petrofka Bridge Orchard

Some of the apple varieties available in 2008 are:

Prairie Sensation (18-10-32)

This apple was named by the University of Saskatchewan in 2007.  In my opinion, this apple compares to the Gala.  It is now being tested for storage.  It was harvested around Sept 10th.  We expect this apple to make the retail stores in 2008.  This apple alone represents 30% of our orchards.  See the University of Saskatchewan’s introduction of this apple further below.

University of Saskatchewan apple (4-11-48) 

These were our first trees that produced leaves in the spring of 2007.  They are pretty big red apples that Anne and Mike like to eat fresh off the trees.  In the 5 years of informal taste tests that I am aware of, this apple was in the top 5 or 6 out of approximately 20 to 25 apples tested.

University of Saskatchewan apple (5-2-52)

A very late apple that will keep and will be a good pie filler.  In my opinion, it is comparable to the Granny Smith.

University of Saskatchewan (4-10-43)

It is a small to medium apple, bright red, crisp, and sweet and it stores very well.  We believe that this is a nice “lunch box” apple.  This one also scored in the top 5 or 6 at the taste test competition.

University of Saskatchewan - 18-8-9 / 5-4-14 / 4-6-48 and many more are also doing well.

In 2008 we should see a few more varieties of the apples from the University of Saskatchewan given names.

In 2009, aside from the University of Saskatchewan research apples, our orchard will have other varieties available such as Parkland, Norland, Goodland, September Ruby, Fall Red, Carlo’s Queen, Minnesota 447 and a few more.

University of Saskatchewan Introduction to Prairie Sensation

The University of Saskatchewan has discovered a series of new apple cultivars that are excellent at combining energy from our sunshine with the goodness from our northern environment into tasty and nourishing fruit.  These new apples are the result of using centuries-old techniques of plant improvement, the hard work of generations of pomologists, and a variety of parental apples from other provinces and countries.  This series has a wide natural range of ripening dates, which give us fresh tree-ripened fruit from early August to late September.  Some of the cultivars remain very fresh in storage and are a treat from October to January.  There is a range of fruit size, texture and flavour to satisfy all apple lovers.  The success we experience today in growing apples in northern climates is based on the hard work of a long line of pomologists and plant breeders of long ago and far away.  In turn building on that work, local apple breeders have recently found an introduced excellent commercial apple cultivars.

An apple cultivar, just recently named and introduced by the University of Saskatchewan, is Prairie Sensation.  It is a new dessert apple for Canadian Prairies zone 2b and warmer.  It was bred and tested by the Domestic Fruit Development Program, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon.

Prairie Sensation was tested in Saskatchewan and Alberta by R.H. Bors and J.R. Sawatzky of the Plant Sciences Department of the University of Saskatchewan.  The fruit ripens around September 7th in Saskatoon.  It is a large apple, which sizes easily to a diameter of 8.5 centimetres, and is appreciated for its firm, crisp and juicy texture, along with its intense aromatic flavour.  It stores very well, and remains very tasty and aromatic after storage.  It has a light green ground color with a 50% over color of red washed and striped.  More than 2000 trees of Prairie Sensation have been budded in prairie orchards since 1997.

Prairie Sensation has continued to score well in informal taste tests since 1993.  Groups of growers, students, horticulture societies, faculty and staff consistently rated it as one of the best of our selections comparing very well with the Gala apple from the grocery store.