Not all apples are the same - it is estimated that there are more than 30,000 different apple varieties worldwide, 2000 of them in Germany alone. There are also many different apple varieties in our orchards. In order to identify them precisely, we consulted an apple expert. Together we went to our orchards in Wiesbaden-Breckenheim, Sonnenberg, Igstadt and Rambach and examined every single apple tree and assigned it to an apple variety. This knowledge helps us to respond to the individual needs of the respective apple trees and to care for them accordingly. It also helps us to plan when which apple is ripe and can be harvested. Because above all, this can differ significantly between the different apple varieties, as there are summer, autumn and winter apples.
These apple varieties grow in our meadow orchards
The preservation and care of our meadow orchards is close to our hearts, among other things, because many old and rare fruit varieties grow there. When classifying the apples, we were now able to find out exactly which special apple varieties our orchard trees bear. Some of them come from our region. One of these regional varieties is the "Anhalter", which originally comes from the Taunus region of Hesse and is a very old variety of cultivated apple. It is a purely economic apple, mainly used for the production of juice, must etc. or as a baking apple and cooking apple. Just like the Anhalter, the "Rheinische Schafsnase" is also an economic apple. This fruit variety also has its origins in the Rhineland and was first mentioned around the year 1600. It also grows in our meadow orchards.
In addition to the farm apples, several dessert apple varieties grow in our orchards, whose apples are suitable for direct consumption. In addition to well-known varieties such as the "Boskoop" and "Cox Orange", we also have very old varieties of tap apple. Among them, for example, the "Goldparmäne", which was first mentioned in 1510 and has been considered one of the best dessert fruit varieties for centuries. There are also trees of the "Harberts Renette" variety in our meadows. This apple is suitable both as a dessert and as a farm apple and was first propagated in 1830 by Carl Ludwig Anton Maria Harbert, who gave it its name. In 2007, it was named orchard variety of the year by the Association of Horticultural Clubs of Saarland-Pfalz.
Discover our orchards for yourself
Of course, there are even more apple varieties and some other orchard fruits, such as quinces, mirabelles, plums and pears, in our orchard meadows. If you would like to see the impressive diversity of the regional orchards for yourself, you are welcome to take part in our orchard project.