Of the more than 20,000 apple varieties known worldwide, only around 60 are economically grown in Central Europe today. However, it can be quite interesting to choose old and rare apple varieties for your own garden.
Which apple varieties should you choose for your own garden?
When selecting apple varieties for your own garden, factors such as regional climate adaptation, soil conditions, harvest time, intended use, pollination performance and available space should be taken into account. Old varieties with good resistance to diseases are recommended.
Choosing the right variety for your own garden
Selecting the right variety for your own garden depends on various factors for apple trees, for example:
- the adaptation of a variety to the regional climate
- the composition of the soil at the site
- the early or late harvest of apples
- use for fresh consumption or storage
- the pollination performance in your own garden
- the available space in your own garden
There are books and lists in which the individual varieties are described in detail with their respective properties. However, it is often easier for you to ask garden neighbors or relatives in the area about the regionally proven varieties. Well-known varieties from the supermarket such as Granny Smith are often not included because they do not fit particularly well in our latitudes.
Old varieties with good resistance to diseases
Modern apple cultivars are often not very resistant to the worst apple diseases, even with good care and regular tree pruning. If you want to avoid using pesticides against pests and fungicides against fungal infestation in your garden, you should rely on old varieties with certain resistance. Examples of this would be:
- Piros
- Retina
- Alkmene
- Topaz
- Renora
- Rewena
The decision between fresh consumption and storage
You should also think about whether you want to use the apples fresh at the time of harvest or whether you want to store them. There are sometimes big differences between the different apple varieties when it comes to the taste of the fresh fruit and the juice or must produced from it. In addition, some varieties have a very limited shelf life, while others can be stored in the cellar for almost the entire winter. In general, early varieties such as Piros and Retina have a limited shelf life and are intended for fresh consumption. On the other hand, the varieties Reanda, Regine and Resi, for example, have a longer storage period and a taste that refines during this time.
The tree shape must match the variety
It is no longer a mysterious art to refine apple trees yourself. To do this you generally need the following things:
- an apple seedling or a special growing base
- one or more scions
- a sharp knife or sharp planting scissors
- a band to bandage the wound site
But please note that not every apple variety is necessarily suitable for every growth habit. You should therefore graft certain types of apples intended for fresh consumption that are harvested early on half-trunks if you want to harvest them yourself using the ladder. If it is a variety of orchard for making must, grafting on a standard tree is no problem. Larger quantities of the usually smaller fruits can grow on a standard tree and thus produce a higher juice yield. At the same time, you should also keep in mind the respective location in your garden. If it is surrounded by high hedges that shield the wind, the apple trees should be able to grow somewhat taller. Otherwise, in the lee of other plants and buildings, the risk of a permanently damp tree crown increases and with it the risk of fungal infestation.
Growing a trellis of fruit trees
For a trellis of apple trees, weak-growing varieties with large fruits should be selected. Since the trees in a trellis are usually relatively sunny, heat-loving apple varieties can also be planted. Good varieties for an apple espalier are:
- Rondo
- Rhapsody
- Burlat
- Combine early and late varieties
If you like to eat fresh apples straight from the tree, you should pay attention to different harvest times when planting several apple trees in the garden. While varieties like Piros and Retina ripen in the summer, varieties like Enterprise and Regine can still be eaten fresh and stored in late autumn.
Pollinator varieties for better yield
Not all areas have enough wild insects or bees kept by a beekeeper to pollinate an apple tree. If there are few apple trees in the area, you should at least not choose a self-sterile apple tree for your own garden. If you already have several apple trees in your garden and they are not fruiting well, you may be able to increase the yield by planting a pollinator variety. Suitable varieties with a particularly universal pollination performance are:
- Alkmene
- Goldparmaene
- Ontario
The exact pollination services can be found in the corresponding tables in the specialist literature.
Tips & Tricks
Ideally, get advice from a local gardening specialist when choosing the right variety. They can give you first-hand recommendations for regionally recommended varieties.