PINK LADY apple tree DWARF (M27)

🌳 Pink Lady Apple Tree (Cripps Pink) 

🔹 Origin and name

• Commercial name: Pink Lady®
• Variety name: Cripps Pink
• Origin: Cross between Golden Delicious × Lady Williams
• Created: 1973, by John Cripps (Australia)

🍏 Tree characteristics

• Type: Late-flowering apple tree
• Vigour: Medium to strong
• Habit: Upright, slightly spreading
• Foliage: Light green, deciduous
• Hardiness: Fairly good (down to -20°C), but sensitive to spring frosts due to late flowering

🌸 Flowering

• Period: Late April to mid-May (late)
• Pollination: Requires a pollinator (self-incompatible)
• Good pollinators: Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Fuji, Gala
• Pollinated by: Bees and pollinating insects

🍎 Fruit

• Appearance: Smooth skin, pink to red on a yellow-green background
• Flesh: White, firm, crisp, and juicy
• Taste: Sweet and tart, very aromatic
• Sugar content: High (Brix index > 13°)
• Size: Medium to large
• Storage: Excellent (up to 6 months in cold storage)

🌾 Cultivation

• Exposure: Full sun (essential for coloring)
• Soil: Deep, well-drained, fertile (neutral to slightly acidic pH)
• Watering: Regular, especially during fruit formation
• Pruning: Annual fruit pruning to aerate and balance
• Yield: Good, but irregular depending on the year

🐛 Diseases and pests

• Susceptibility:
  • Scab 🍂: Medium
  • Powdery mildew 🍃: Medium to high
  • Fire blight 🔥: Susceptible
• Prevention: Good aeration, copper treatments, judicious pruning

🍂 Harvest

• Period: Late October to November (late variety)
• Special feature: The fruit must reach a specific sugar content and coloration to be sold under the Pink Lady® label

💡 Main advantages

✅ Very attractive and tasty fruit
✅ Excellent shelf life
✅ Late flowering (less exposed to frost)

⚠️ Disadvantages

❌ Requires a lot of sun and heat to color well
❌ Susceptible to certain fungal diseases
❌ Not self-fertile