Wilton's Red Jonaprince or Red Cap Valtod?
Updated on 8/9/2026
Wilton's Red Jonaprince and Red Cap Valtod sit in a similar part of the harvest calendar, but they solve different problems. Jonaprince brings large fruit, deep red colour and a well branched canopy. Valtod has lower vigour, elongated fruit, a mildly sharp aromatic taste and storage described as excellent.
For a market orchard, the choice cannot come from a photograph. It comes from vigour, rootstock, buyer and the months in which the fruit must be sold.
What is Wilton's Red Jonaprince
Red Jonaprince is a natural mutation of Jonagold discovered in 1994 in Weert, the Netherlands. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency describes large, conic fruit with firm cream flesh. Red coverage is large to very large and darker than on Jonagold.
Raludor lists strong vigour, a well branched canopy and bloom two or three days before Golden Delicious. The fruit is large, round to elongated and can develop extensive dark red colour.
That look has clear shelf appeal. Colour does not replace firmness, flavour or storage behaviour. Beautiful fruit picked too early can lose the eating quality the buyer expected.
What is Red Cap Valtod
Red Cap Valtod has lower vigour and medium to late bloom. The Raludor catalogue describes medium to large, elongated fruit with dark red skin and visible veins. Its taste is mildly sharp and aromatic. Storage is one of the traits given special emphasis.
Lower vigour may help a design that aims to control canopy size. It does not mean every narrow spacing will work. Rootstock, soil fertility, irrigation and support determine the real density.
Quick comparison
| Criterion | Wilton's Red Jonaprince | Red Cap Valtod |
|---|---|---|
| Genetic origin | Jonagold mutation | Commercial Valtod selection |
| Vigour in the Raludor catalogue | Strong | Low |
| Shape | Round to elongated | Elongated |
| Colour | Dark red across most of the fruit | Dark red with visible veins |
| Taste | Very good, firm flesh | Mildly sharp and aromatic |
| Raludor window | Second half of September | Second half of September |
| Commercial role | Uniform appearance and colour | Strong storage potential |
The harvest window is a guide. It moves with location, exposure, crop load and season. Eating maturity may come after harvest maturity, especially for fruit intended for storage.
When Jonaprince makes sense
Jonaprince deserves attention when the market wants large apples with intense red colour and a uniform look. A well branched canopy can provide useful wood for training, but strong vigour must stay balanced through rootstock, pruning and crop load.
The cultivar is triploid and should not serve as the only pollinizer for other apples. A commercial design needs compatible diploid cultivars with overlapping bloom. Pollination belongs on the plan before the trees reach the site.
When Valtod makes sense
Valtod deserves attention when canopy control and storage carry weight in the business model. Its mildly sharp flavour can also serve a different customer from predominantly sweet apples.
Since the product page emphasises storage life, the grower must plan post harvest infrastructure as well. Temperature, humidity, cooling speed and sorting decide how much of the potential reaches the buyer. A cultivar cannot repair a weak storage chain.
What belongs in the budget before planting
Price the trees, support, irrigation and protection. Add labour for canopy training, thinning, harvest and grading. Then calculate storage separately.
One cultivar may sell quickly at harvest. Another may move revenue into a later month, but it occupies space and capital. The useful comparison is between two cash flows, not only two apples.
View Wilton's Red Jonaprince, Red Cap Valtod and the apple catalogue. Ask for a site specific cultivar and pollination plan through the contact page.
Frequently asked questions
Is Red Jonaprince the same as Jonagold?
No. Red Jonaprince is a mutation of Jonagold. It retains that genetic connection but develops much more extensive and darker red coverage.
Can Wilton's Red Jonaprince pollinate other apples?
It is triploid, so it is not a good pollinizer. The planting plan needs compatible diploid cultivars.
Is Valtod intended for storage?
Raludor presents excellent storage life as a special characteristic. The actual result depends on correct harvest maturity and controlled storage conditions.
Do Jonaprince and Valtod ripen together?
Both appear in the second half of September in the Raludor calendar. The exact day may differ, and harvest should follow fruit maturity in the orchard.
Technical sources: the official Red Jonaprince description from CFIA, the Dalival sheet for Wilton's Red Jonaprince, the official Red Cap Valtod page and the linked Raludor product pages.