Katy apple
Malus domestica
A very attractive and easy-to-grow early apple variety from Sweden.
Katy is an easy-going early-season apple. The pretty appearance and juicy flavour mean it is popular with children, and it becomes available just in time for lunch-boxes for the new school term.
Katy originates from Sweden, where it is known as Katya, and as such is well-suited to growing in cool temperate climates. It was developed in 1947 as a cross between James Grieve and Worcester Pearmain and is very much a mixture of these two varieties. Worcester Pearmain is an English early-season variety from the 19th century, which used to be quite widely grown. Its most recognisable trait is a subtle strawberry flavour, and this is also present in Katy (although it is very variable). James Grieve is another early-season variety, and its most notable characteristic is lots and lots of acidic juice.
Katy is available for a few weeks in late August and early September. Like most early varieties it is very refreshing when straight from the tree, but goes soft after a while - best kept in a refrigerator and nice to eat when cool rather than at room temperature.
Katy is an attractive medium-sized apple, usually bright red in colour over a light green yellow background. The flesh is a pale cream colour, and on the softer side of crunchy. Katy is usually a very juicy, and when fresh from the tree the juice goes everywhere as you bite into it. It has a fairly mild apple flavour, a bit of refreshing acidity, and in a good year a hint of strawberry. The flavour is perhaps not the greatest, but certainly very pleasant. If you have a surplus, then Katy is an especially good apple for juicing - the juice is a lovely red/orange colour - similar to pink grapefruit juice in colour.
For an interesting tasting exercise, see if you can find Elton Beauty or Lord Lambourne - like Katy, these are both crosses between James Grieve and Worcester Pearmain.
It is perhaps not widely known, but Katy is also a useful culinary apple - try it as the basis of apple "crumble". It breaks down into soft chunks during cooking, with a good sweet/sharp flavour.
The 2007 season: 2007 has been a strange season in north west Europe. A superb hot dry spring was followed by months of heavy rain in June and July. The effect has been to bring forward the season for early apples quite dramatically. Vista Bella, normally available at the end of July, was over a week earlier than usual, and we are getting reports of Katy being ripe and ready for eating in the first week of August - a good 3-4 weeks early.
2008 season: another wet cool summer in north west Europe. Katy apples available from late August as usual, with good strong red coloration.
In summary, Katy is a really excellent apple for gardeners in temperate climates. It produces an attractive neat tree, very easy to grow, and highly productive, and the fruit can be eaten fresh or juiced or even used for cooking. It also produces a lot of blossom which is an attractive feature in the spring and makes it a good pollinator for other apple varieties.
Summary
- Parentage: James Grieve x Worcester Pearmain
- Origin: Sweden
- Introduced: 1947
- Orange Pippin Cultivar ID: 103600
Identification
- Fruit colour: Red / Green
- Flesh colour: White
- Fruit size: Medium
- Bultitude apple group: 6. Red flushed, smooth, sweet
Using
- Good for eating fresh
- Good for cooking
- Good for juice
- Good for hard cider
- Flavour quality: Average
- Flavour style: Sharper
- Ripening period: Early-Mid season
- Use / keeping: 1 week
Growing
- Cropping: Heavy
- Flowering group: 3
- Fertility: Self-sterile
- Good pollinator
- Vigour: Slightly large
- Gardening skill: Easy
- Attractive tree
- Attractive blossom
- General disease resistance: Good
Climate
- Suitable for temperate climates
- Tolerates cold winters
- Suitable for NW. Scotland?: Yes
- Suitable for N. England?: Yes
Mature tree heights for this variety (approximate)
| Rootstock | Soil quality | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poor | Below average | Average | Above average | Very good | |
| P22 | 2.4 ft 0.7 m |
3.0 ft 0.9 m |
3.6 ft 1.1 m |
4.2 ft 1.3 m |
4.8 ft 1.5 m |
| M27 | 3.2 ft 1.0 m |
4.0 ft 1.2 m |
4.8 ft 1.5 m |
5.6 ft 1.7 m |
6.4 ft 2.0 m |
| M9 | 4.8 ft 1.5 m |
6.0 ft 1.8 m |
7.2 ft 2.2 m |
8.4 ft 2.6 m |
9.6 ft 2.9 m |
| Bud.9 | 4.8 ft 1.5 m |
6.0 ft 1.8 m |
7.2 ft 2.2 m |
8.4 ft 2.6 m |
9.6 ft 2.9 m |
| Geneva 16 | 4.8 ft 1.5 m |
6.0 ft 1.8 m |
7.2 ft 2.2 m |
8.4 ft 2.6 m |
9.6 ft 2.9 m |
| Geneva 11 | 5.6 ft 1.7 m |
7.0 ft 2.1 m |
8.4 ft 2.6 m |
9.8 ft 3.0 m |
11.2 ft 3.4 m |
| M26 | 6.4 ft 2.0 m |
8.0 ft 2.5 m |
9.6 ft 2.9 m |
11.2 ft 3.4 m |
12.8 ft 3.9 m |
| Geneva 30 | 6.4 ft 2.0 m |
8.0 ft 2.5 m |
9.6 ft 2.9 m |
11.2 ft 3.4 m |
12.8 ft 3.9 m |
| MM102 | 6.4 ft 2.0 m |
8.0 ft 2.5 m |
9.6 ft 2.9 m |
11.2 ft 3.4 m |
12.8 ft 3.9 m |
| M7 | 7.2 ft 2.2 m |
9.0 ft 2.8 m |
10.8 ft 3.3 m |
12.6 ft 3.9 m |
14.4 ft 4.4 m |
| M116 | 7.2 ft 2.2 m |
9.0 ft 2.8 m |
10.8 ft 3.3 m |
12.6 ft 3.9 m |
14.4 ft 4.4 m |
| MM106 | 8.0 ft 2.5 m |
10.0 ft 3.1 m |
12.0 ft 3.7 m |
14.0 ft 4.3 m |
16.0 ft 4.9 m |
| MM111 | 9.6 ft 2.9 m |
12.0 ft 3.7 m |
14.4 ft 4.4 m |
16.8 ft 5.2 m |
19.2 ft 5.9 m |
| Bud.118 | 11.2 ft 3.4 m |
14.0 ft 4.3 m |
16.8 ft 5.2 m |
19.6 ft 6.0 m |
22.4 ft 6.9 m |
| M25 | 12.8 ft 3.9 m |
16.0 ft 4.9 m |
19.2 ft 5.9 m |
22.4 ft 6.9 m |
25.6 ft 7.9 m |
Relationships to other varieties
Parents and other ancestors of this variety:
- James Grieve (parent)
- Worcester Pearmain (parent)
Siblings of this variety (same parentage):
See also:
- Sunrise - Katy and Sunrise ripen at the same time (late August in the UK) yet have completely different parentage
