Lemon apple
Synonyms:
Lime apple.
Origin:
Lunteren ± 1885. Lime apple is one of the apple varieties bred by Mr J.H.Th.W. van den Ham, notary in Lunteren. The apple was announced to the world and awarded at the exhibition of seedling fruits in Lunteren in 1899 (from 18 to 20 October) and marketed. He also has the variety Notarisappel to his name. Lemon apple has been introduced as ìthe improved Goudreinetteî, because the Lemon apple is said to be healthier. As such, it has been planted quite a lot over a period of time. In the long run, this nickname turned out to be not entirely justified and Schone van Boskoop was preferred, despite his ailments. The lemon apple was mainly found in the IJssel region and in Brabant. The variety was not sufficient in Zeeland, the Betuwe and Utrecht. Schone van Boskoop was more appreciated on these often wet soils, because the lemon apple here suffered a lot from canker attack.
ready for picking: early October.
ready for consumption: November to January.
dimensions: the shape is rather high than flat, rather broad from below with a convex line tapering towards the calyx. Well-developed fruits can become quite large, medium-sized fruits are rarely found, so that the Lime apple can be counted among the large apples.
calyx: small, but rather deep, regularly tapering with small grooves.
calyx: medium in size and closed. Sepals dry and well developed tapering towards each other.
stem cavity: deep and rather narrow.
stipe: short, thick and fleshy, sunk deep into a narrow cavity.
skin: yellow-green with brown-rusty stripes and flames, rather rough, colored orange-yellow on the sunny side, sometimes with red stripes. As it ripens, the fruit turns a beautiful golden yellow. Is often grayer and at least as rough as the Schone van Boskoop.
ground color: green.
body color:
flesh: yellowish white, soft, fine, moderately acidic and juicy, very pleasant and aromatic in taste and somewhat similar to the Schone van Boskoop. Fruit flesh is whiter than Schone van Boskoop and has a more neutral taste.
core: rather large, broad, lofts well formed.
Sensitive for:
Plant protection is less necessary for the lemon apple because there is hardly any damage caused by scab and mildew. Lime apple, on the other hand, is more susceptible to cancer than Schone van Boskoop, especially on wetter soils.
Harvest:
Mediocre. Lime apple is less fertile than Schone van Boskoop, but also less sensitive to biennial seasons. Only wears at a later age. Sometimes suffered from premature fruit drop. Despite the large, wide tree, the yield was usually only moderate, so that the fruits sometimes became too large.
Store:
Mediocre. Less than Clean van Boskoop. Until winter, in cold store until mid-February.
Usage:
Very good eating apple, poor cooking apple, because of its size, color and quality, this apple can be called a first-class fruit.
Tree:
Grows very strongly but less strongly than Schone van Boskoop. Forms a broad, open, somewhat bare, large tree. The tree is more difficult to form than Schone van Boskoop.
Flowering:
Mid-season flowering, poor pollen, self-fertile, but cross-pollination may still be desirable.
Equal bloomers:
Fertilizers:
Groningen Crown.
Transparent Jaune.
triploid.
Tree shape:
High stem, which grows beautifully, makes heavy, powerful wood and likes to take on a broad, spherical growth. Is ideally suited for the orchard, but also for small forms, is fertile and bears annually. It also wants to grow well, especially on sandy soils. The photo below is the mother tree in Lunteren.
N.B. the chart posted relates to Bongerd Groote Veen,
tree growth is highly dependent on local conditions!
Rootstock:
Very suitable for growing on a weak rootstock.
Resistivity:
Tree is very healthy.
Location:
Clay and sand.
Cultivation value:
De Boskoop produces more sustainable fruit and more fruit with good care. In some places and with less care, the Lemoen is healthier.
Similar fruits:
Beautiful from Boskoop.
Pruning:
Cause of Disappearance:
Lemoenappel was introduced as a replacement for the Schone van Boskoop, but was later competed again by the same variety and was gradually replaced. This was possible due to improved disease control and the better quality and longer shelf life of Clean van Boskoop.
Plant advice:
Recommended, provided that sufficient account is taken of specific requirements regarding the location, soil type and care.
Miscellaneous:
Appears on the list of varieties of Drenthe.
Source data:
Zesde beschrijvende rassenlijst voor fruit 1948.
Onze appels en peren, door H.de Greeff 1905.
Verdwenen appel- en perenrassen.
De zaailingappel (1904).
Oude Fruitrassen in Noord-Nederland. J. Veel & J. Woltema.
Nederlandse Fruitsoorten (1942).
Sixth Descriptive Variety List for Fruit 1948.
Our apples and pears, by H.de Greeff 1905.
Disappeared apple and pear varieties.
The seedling apple (1904).
Ancient Fruit Varieties in the Northern Netherlands. J. Veel & J. Woltema.
Dutch Fruit Varieties (1942).