‘Krügers Dickstiel’, also known as ‘Celler Dickstiel’, is the name of a popular German apple variety that is characterized by its good aroma. We present the winter apple as well as the special features of cultivation and care.
Hardly any other variety is known by so many synonyms as ‘Krügers Dickstiel’: Whether as ‘Celler Dickstiel’, ‘Color box’ or Dickstiel ’for short - the old apple variety has one in almost every region of Northern Germany other name. The diverse naming can also be traced back to the popularity of the apple variety ‘Krügers Dickstiel’, which is still valued by many aficionados today.
contents
- ‘Krügers Dickstiel’: Profile
- History and origins
- Properties and taste of the Celler thick stalk apple
- Tips on growing and caring for ‘Krügers Dickstiel’
- Harvest and use apple variety ‘Krügers Dickstiel’
‘Krügers Dickstiel’: Profile
| Synonyms | ‘Celler Dickstiel’, ‘Color box’, ‘Dickstiel’ |
| fruit | medium-sized; green-yellow to silver-gray basic color with orange and red marbling (on the sunny side) and yellow spots (on the shadowy side) |
| taste | slightly sour, spicy, floral aroma |
| Yield | high and regular |
| Harvest time | Early to mid-October |
| Ripe for enjoyment | since December |
| Shelf life | very good; storable until the end of February |
| growth | medium to strong |
| climate | undemanding; Insider tip for locations prone to late frost |
| Diseases and pests | increased susceptibility to powdery mildew in warm locations |
History and origins
The origin of the apple variety ‘Krügers Dickstiel’ has not been fully clarified. It is known that the variety originated in northern Germany around 1850. Most likely, the variety was first grown in Mecklenburg or in the Celle region. The latter would also provide an explanation for the synonym ‘Celler Dickstiel’. After the discovery, the variety quickly spread in northern Germany, at the latest since the 20th In the 19th century, however, the variety's popularity grew throughout Germany. Today, ‘Krügers Dickstiel’ is hardly ever grown conventionally. But it is still one of the most popular apple trees for the garden and is very much appreciated by many hobby gardeners.
Properties and taste of the Celler thick stalk apple
The ‘Krügers Dickstiel’ apples are medium-sized and evenly round in shape. Above all, their special coloring is characteristic: the greenish-yellow to silver-gray basic color has orange and red marbling on the sunny side, yellow spots are often found on the shadowy side. In addition, the surface of the shell is slightly rusted. This unique play of colors also earned the apple the name ‘color box’. The flesh inside is firm and white. However, the ‘Celler Dickstiel’ only becomes a favorite of many apple lovers because of its special aroma: the slightly acidic one Apple impresses with a spicy, floral fruit aroma, which is why it is often one of the best apple varieties in terms of taste will.
Tips on growing and caring for ‘Krügers Dickstiel’
With its undemanding nature, ‘Krügers Dickstiel’ is ideally suited for cultivation in the garden. Especially on lighter soils, it is considered to be extremely robust and resilient. Only on particularly clayey soils can ‘Krügers Dickstiel’ hardly grow. You should therefore always pay attention to a light substrate. The ‘Celler Dickstiel’ is a real insider tip, especially in locations where there is a risk of late frost.
Due to its very late flowering, it also promises a safe harvest that will last for many years. However, its late flowering also poses a challenge for gardeners: "Krügers Dickstiel" is one of the worse pollinators, because many other apple varieties bloom too late. At the same time, ‘Krügers Dickstiel’ also has poor fruit itself if there is no suitable pollinator variety, such as ‘Privy Councilor Dr. Oldenburg ’, growing nearby.
Even if the ‘Celler thick stalk’ grows quickly after planting, the tree shows slow but steady growth overall. With its broad, pryamid-shaped crown, which becomes more and more dense with age, the ‘Celler Dickstiel’ is also visually very attractive. Depending on the substrate, ‘Krügers Dickstiel’ shows moderate to good growth. The variety can be trained well with weakly growing rootstocks and shows nice, upright growth. If the backing is strong, the cut of ‘Krügers Dickstiel’ is a little more complex, because it is very vigorous.
Overall, ‘Krügers Dickstiel’ is considered to be particularly robust. This is also due to its low susceptibility to disease: the ‘Celler Dickstiel’ variety is generally less susceptible to both scab and speck. Only with powdery mildew does ‘Krügers Dickstiel’ show a certain susceptibility. Especially in warm locations it tends to be more susceptible to mildewwhich is why you should examine him here more often for the first signs of the disease.
Harvest and use apple variety ‘Krügers Dickstiel’
From the beginning of October to the middle of October, the ‘Krügers Dickstiel’ apples are ready to be picked, and from December they will be ready for consumption. Due to their fine, spicy aroma, the fruits are considered to be particularly delicate table apples. Its long shelf life makes the ‘Krügers Dickstiel’ apple variety particularly valuable - if the apple is stored correctly, it can be kept until the end of February without any problems. So that ‘Krügers Dickstiel’ does not wilt during storage, particular importance should be attached to high humidity and low temperatures during storage. In addition to its use as a table apple, ‘Krügers Dickstiel’ can also be used in many ways in the kitchen and is particularly popular for baking because of its firm pulp.
The ‘Celler Dickstiel’ as a tasty and healthy variety is an asset for the garden, but far too good to process! The rich ‘is better suited for this.Maunzenapfel‘, Which, with its abundant yield, is a perfect apple for further processing.