What We Grow

Kaleidoscope Fruit Ranch specializes in four varieties of apples for the commercial organic market: Spartan, Ambrosia, Royal Gala, and Pink Lady. The fact that these varieties mature at slightly different times and in different patterns within the tree allows us to harvest apples continuously throughout the autumn season. This family-scale practice ensures that our apples are harvested at their optimal stage of maturity, which benefits their quality, storagability, and above all, their flavour.

Apple varieties grown on site, from left to right in order of readiness: Royal Gala, Golden Delicious, Spartan, Ambrosia, Red Delicious, Granny Smith, Crab, Fuji (immature), Pink Lady (immature)

 

Spartan

  • The Spartan is the true Summerland apple! Our Spartan trees grow within eyesight of the Research Station where the variety was developed in 1936.

  • A sweet-tart dessert apple with complex aromatics, snow white flesh, and cloudy purple over green skin, Spartan is many peoples’ favourite eating and cooking apple.

  • If you think Spartans lack flavour, chances are you have never eaten one that was harvested at the correct time. Spartans need to ripen on the tree to reach their full flavour potential. When picked at their optimal time, spartans are both firm and flavourful. Once picked, they soften quicker than some other varieties, even while they continue to develop their aromatics; this makes very ripe spartans exquisite cooking apples.

  • Spartans are a “one pick” apple, which means that they mature relatively evenly on the tree and are more or less all picked at the same time.

  • Our Spartans grow on standard-sized rootstocks, planted at 15’x15’ and 15’x6’ spacing. These larger trees take more work than dwarf trees, but are also more resilient to drought, pests, and diseases.

  • Spartans have a mid-to-late season harvest time, overlapping with Ambrosia.

Ambrosia

  • Another local variety, Ambrosia was developed in the Similkameen Valley by the Mennell family in the early 1990s.

  • Sweet like candy, crisp and juicy with low acidity, gorgeous golden skin with a red blush.

  • Ambrosia are a “multi-pick” apple, which means they mature at different rates on the tree. We go over each Ambrosia tree up to four times in a typical harvest season (a level of detail that is rarely undertaken on larger farms).

  • Our Ambrosia are grown high-density on M9 rootstocks using both super spindle (11’x2’) and slender spindle (11’x3’) spacings.

  • Ambrosia have a mid-to-late season harvest time, overlapping with Spartan.

 

Royal Gala

  • A sweet and aromatic late summer apple with orange “glowing” skin and red striped or mottled markings.

  • Originated in New Zealand and has spread around the world, with many different “sports” (micro-varieties) now grown.

  • The variety of Gala grown on our farm is “multi pick”, which means we go over our trees up to four times per season in order to harvest at the optimal maturity. This variety takes more work than some redder sports of Gala, but it also tastes significantly better.

  • Our Galas are planted on M9 and B9 rootstocks, using a slender spindle system with 12’x4’ spacing.

  • Galas have an early season harvest time.

Pink Lady

  • Pink Lady has a mouth-puckering flavour, sweet-tart and tangy with high acidity. It’s skin colour ranges from a deep pink with pale white freckles to lighter shades of pink on a green background.

  • Originating from Australia, “Pink Lady” is the trade name of the cultivar “Cripps Pink”.

  • We grow Pink Lady at two spacings: high-density super spindle on M9 rootstocks (11’x2’), and medium-density on M26 rootstocks (12’x5’).

  • Pink Lady is a one-pick apple, with all apples on the tree reaching maturity at approximately the same time.

  • Pink Lady have a very late-season harvest time, which puts them at risk when winter comes too early. Most years, the state of the world forces us to harvest Pink Lady earlier than we would like.

  • Pink Lady benefits from at least one month in storage for full flavour development. Luckily, Pink Lady apples store exceptionally well. For instance, pink lady kept in our garage (without heating or cooling) keep well for about 4-5 months, with an additional 2-3 months where they are still good for cooking.

Hardy Kiwi

  • Actinidia arguta is a vine native to Northern China, Russia, Korea, and Japan which is able to withstand very low temperatures.

  • Also known as “Chinese Monkey Peach”, “Kiwi Berry” and “Grape Kiwi”, hardy kiwis are small-sized, hairless, and come in a variety of surprising flavours and colours.

  • Most Kiwi vines are dioecious, requiring both male and female plants to produce fruit.

  • Our kiwi vines were planted in 2020 and 2021 in various locations on our site, and will require eight years to reach full production (though we can expect to have a small crop as early as 2024).

  • Research demonstrating hardy kiwi cultivation in Canada took place in the 1980s and ‘90s at the Agassiz Research Station, but today ours is one of only a few commercial plantings in BC.

  • In our experience, hardy kiwi do not seem troubled by harsh Okanagan winters, though they are very susceptible to wind damage when young and tender.

…and more!

We also grow small amounts of apricots, quince, cherries, peaches, prune plums, and green and red table grapes, all certified organic.

Contact us for sales info and availability.