Father apple

Father apple
Art	Cultivated apple ( Malus domestica )
origin	Holzhausen
known since	before 1794
ancestry
Random seedling
List of apple varieties

The father apple is a variety of the cultivated apple ( Malus domestica ). The apple is a local Hessian variety from the area between Naumburg and Kaufungen , south and southwest of Kassel . The variety was chosen by the campaign “ Hessian local variety of the year ” as the orchard variety of the year 2014 in order to preserve the pomological cultural heritage in Hesse. For this purpose, young trees are used by cooperating tree nurseriesattracted and offered for new plantings. The father apple has a pink body color on a pale yellow background. It has medium firm flesh , but it soon becomes tender.

origin

The history of the father apple is largely unknown. The first mention was made in 1794 by JL Christ and only then again in 1942 in a variety directory of the province of Hessen-Nassau . Pomologists were able to rediscover it around 2010 in the Hessian region around Holzhausen am Hahn and at individual locations in Northern Hesse. In the regions mentioned, the name of the variety is still known, which indicates an earlier, local propagation.

Tree shape and vulnerabilities

The crown of the tree is broadly pyramidal. The father apple grows strongly from the beginning, does not become weak later and thus develops large and particularly healthy trees. With a regular cut, it can be raised as a half or standard trunk . Despite the slightly increasing alternation , good yields can be expected. The variety has no special requirements in terms of climate or soil and can therefore also be recommended for orchards .

The tree is very robust and not susceptible to frost or disease, in particular it seems to be resistant to fungal diseases ( scab and fruit tree cancer ). Aphids and powdery mildew can occasionally occur.

Maturity and use

The mid-early blooming father apple is an autumn apple with the ripening date October and can only be kept until January (then already crumbly). The low acidity of the apples does not result in usable fruit juices; this can only be used together with other, suitable varieties. However, this makes the father apple a good commercial variety. The pulp is initially medium firm, the aroma suffers in unfavorable locations, the variety is generally low in acid and aromatic.

Fruit description

Shape and size

The fruit of the father apple is medium-sized, the shape is uneven, rounded to tall and bulbous and medium-strong ribbed on the calyx side. The skin is smooth and dry, with a green-yellow base color that later turns pale yellow. The opaque color occurs only rarely and is pinkish-red on the stalk. The bowl has a strong scent of roses, is medium thick and pressure-resistant. There are numerous brown, partly green lenticels .

Chalice

The cup is smaller and more closed. The sepals are narrow and touch at the base. The calyx pit is sunk more strongly and provided with folds and slight ribs. The lenticels turn into line rust towards the calyx .

stalk

The stem is fleshy and thick at the origin and is often pushed aside by a small meat nose. The rest of the stem is woody, thin and reddish brown in color. The stem pit is medium-deep, narrow and rusted light brown.

Core house

The core house is in the middle of the vertical, the axis caves ( picture ) are open to each other. The shape of the core house walls is arched to ear-shaped and torn with cotton wool. There are only a few fully developed kernels ( seeds ), these are rounded and fawn-brown.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ http://pomologen-verein.de/hessen.html Website of the pomologists association - Landesgruppe Hessen
2. ^ Johann Ludwig Christ: "Handbook on fruit tree cultivation and fruit teaching" J. Chr. Hermansche Buchhandlung, Frankfurt am Main, 1794 page 431
3. ^ Official Journal of the Government in Kassel, Kassel September 1942, page 149
4. ↑ Steffen Kahl: Directory of Hessian regional and local varieties - apples, Wetzlar 2002