The apple variety 'Geheimrat Dr. Oldenburg' is an old German breed, also known under the names 'Geheimrat Oldenburg' and 'Oldenburg'. We will introduce you to the apple and explain everything you need to know about cultivation, care and more.
‘Privy Councilor Dr. Oldenburg' is a naturally high-yielding variety that needs some care in order to be able to fully develop the good taste of its fruits. Its climate requirements are low, so cooler locations are also well advised to use this variety. The brightly colored autumn apple is harvested in September and should then be processed within the next two months.
contents
- ‘Privy Councilor Dr. Oldenburg': profile
- Origin and history of the apple variety 'Geheimrat Dr. Oldenburg'
- ‘Privy Councilor Dr. Oldenburg': taste and properties
- Cultivation and care of the privy Oldenburg apple
- Oldenburg Apple: Harvest & Use
‘Privy Councilor Dr. Oldenburg': profile
| synonyms | 'Privy Councilor Oldenburg', 'Oldenburg' |
| fruit | medium-sized; greenish-yellow ground color with light to dark red top color |
| the taste | juicy, mild, sweet and sour |
| yield | high; not swaying; early onset |
| harvest time | from September |
| maturity | from November on |
| shelf life | medium; can be stored until December |
| growth | initially strong, later medium strong |
| climate | medium claim; frost hardy, but not suitable for high altitudes; prefers warm and sheltered locations |
| diseases and pests | not susceptible to common diseases and pests |
Origin and history of the apple variety 'Geheimrat Dr. Oldenburg'
The 'Privy Councilor Dr. Unlike many apple varieties, Oldenburg' is the result of targeted breeding. In 1897, the parents 'Minister von Hammerstein' and 'Baumanns Renette' were crossed at the fruit testing facility in Geisenheim (Hesse) in order to obtain a new, robust variety.
‘Privy Councilor Dr. Oldenburg': taste and properties
The apples of the variety 'Geheimrat Dr. Oldenburg' are medium-sized and spherical, but sometimes also tall. The skin is firm but thin, so the fruit is sensitive to mechanical damage. The basic color of the shell is greenish-yellow, the top color light to dark red and sometimes marbled, sometimes striped. The flesh is whitish-yellow, juicy and fine-celled with a sweet-sour, mild taste and a special, unmistakable aroma.
Tip: Wears a 'Privy Councilor Dr. Oldenburg' too many fruits, so they stay smaller and have a bland, boring taste. In the following you will learn how you can prevent a too rich curtain by thinning out.
Cultivation and care of the privy Oldenburg apple
The 'Privy Councilor Dr. Oldenburg' is a very strong variety when young, but only grows moderately later. The tree grows rather upright, but forms many branches, which makes training much easier. Because this is how advantageous fruit branches are created again and again, new skeletal branches are formed and there is plenty of scope for a good one apple tree pruning. Depending on the rootstock, it can be grown as a trellis or as a slender spindle, pyramid or even as a standard on an extensively cultivated meadow orchard. Training as a trellis or slender spindle requires a slow-growing base such as M9 or M26. Pyramid trees and standard trees can stand on seedling stock or even on their own roots. It is important to know that apple trees have to grow on their own roots for several years, often even more than a decade, before they start to produce many blossoms and fruits.
The flowering of 'Privy Councilor Dr. Oldenburg' is early, so that the varieties 'Alcmene', 'Ananasrenette', 'Baumann's Renette', 'gold parmesan‘, ‘James Grieve' and 'ontario‘ come into question. Interestingly, the flower is reddish and smaller than many other strains.
The 'Privy Councilor Dr. Oldenburg' usually produces plenty of fruit wood and is considered a "mass carrier". Unfortunately, the fruit quality suffers greatly from the fact that too many fruits are set. For this reason it is important to the 'Privy Councilor Dr. Oldenburg' to perform a thinning. This means that part of the young fruit is removed before it ripens. When the young fruits are the size of a hazelnut, only one or a maximum of two fruits are left on each inflorescence, the rest are plucked off. The remaining fruits can then be taken care of by the tree and mature into large and tasty fruits.
Diseases and pests are for the 'Privy Councilor Dr. Oldenburg' no problem: The most important pathogens - mildew, apple scab and the codling moth – rarely meet this hardy variety.
Oldenburg Apple: Harvest & Use
Sufficiently large and well cared for apples of the variety 'Geheimrat Dr. Oldenburg' are tasty table apples that can be picked from September and stored until November or December. Enjoying the apples is a pleasure from November, because then they are really ripe. The firm flesh of the variety is also good to use in the kitchen, for example for apple pie.
Did you know that apple trees are among the best honeybee trees? If you want to plant even more food plants for insects in your garden, our article on the most bee-friendly trees find it.
