Ashmead's Kernel

Ashmead’s Kernel is a renowned English heritage dessert apple with an intense sweet-sharp flavour and exceptional aromatic richness.

Highly regarded for fresh eating, juicing, and sauce making, it develops outstanding flavour after storage.

Features

• Rich sweet-tart flavour with strong aromatic character
• Firm, juicy flesh with dense texture
• Excellent dessert apple and outstanding for apple sauce
• Produces richly flavoured juice
• Traditional russeted heritage variety
• Vigorous tree with reliable annual cropping
• Fruit borne in clusters on short spurs
• Flavour improves significantly in storage

Origins / Notes

Originated in Gloucester around 1720 and is one of England’s finest historic dessert apples. The variety became well known for its distinctive complex flavour

Storage

Stores well for around 1 month initially, though in ideal cold storage conditions fruits may keep longer while developing deeper flavour and sweetness.

Disease Resistance

Generally healthy and resilient with some resistance to apple scab and fire-blight. Also resistant to cedar apple rust and powdery mildew.

May still be susceptible to Canker in wetter climates

Pollination-season

Mid to late-season flowering

Harvest-season

Late season harvest, usually from October onwards.

Rootstock Available

M26, MM106

Please refer to our Rootstock Guide for more information.

Whereas varieties determine the type of apple you get, the rootstock determines the growing characteristics, vigour and ultimate height of the tree.

Selecting the right rootstock for your site and preference is just as important as the variety you chose. The different rootstocks we graft with and their uses are listed below.

M26 – Semi dwarf. Up to 3m high. Requires staking. Used for bush trees. Suitable for small gardens & allotments, for training into cordons & espaliers. Startsbfruiting after 2-3 years. Space bush trees 2-4m apart.

M116 – Medium. A semi-vigorous rootstock, with trees growing up to 3-4m high. Good for wet soil conditions. Start fruiting after 3-4 years.  Space trees 3.6m with 4.5m between the rows.

MM106 – Medium. A semi-vigorous rootstock, with trees growing up to 3-4m high. Good for half standards, espaliers, cordons. Start fruiting after 3-4 years. Space trees 3.6m with 4.5m between the rows.     

M111 – Large. A vigorous rootstock, with trees growing up to 4m high. Tolerates wet ground, more exposed sites, higher altitudes, and shallower soil conditions, has good disease resistance. Good for farms, larger smallholdings. Start fruiting after 4-5 years   Space trees 4-6m apart with 6m between the rows.

M25– Very Large. A very vigorous rootstock, with trees growing up to 6m (20ft) high. Grow as full or half standard. Ideal in poorer soil in exposed sites. Not ideal for the most gardens unless the soil is poor. Start fruiting after 5-6 years.  Space trees 4.5m apart with 6m between the rows.

Mid Season

For more information about pollination groups, please click here.