3 ways to improve your block this autumn
Autumn is a great time of year to prepare your block for future bumper crops. Plant the right trees and you can enjoy the amazing flavour of heritage apples for most of the year.
Natural ways to improve your block’s soil, plus 5 types of apples to plant in 2020
1 Eating fresh
Ripe: January-March, depending on variety.
GOOD OPTIONS
Hetlina: disease-resistant tree, medium-sized, red skin, crisp flesh, antioxidant-rich.
Fiesta: streaky-red, crisp, juicy, sweet, also long-keeping.
Egremont Russet: sweet, nutty, thickskinned.
Monty’s Surprise: highest antioxidants of all apples, huge fruit, also good for cooking, ripens unusually late (May).
2 Cooking/dessert
Ripe: March-May, depending on variety
GOOD OPTIONS
Cox’s Orange Pippin: crisp, tart-sweet, nutty flavour, very aromatic, tree does better in warmer regions, long-keeping.
Antonovka: crisp, refreshing, juicy, beautiful golden skin.
Granny Smith: tart, crisp, juicy, suits most parts of NZ, stores well.
Belle de Boskoop: great sauce apple, tangy flavour, crisp, can be eaten fresh, long-keeping.
Reinette de Thorn: sweet, rich, juicy, beautiful perfume, long cropper, long-keeping.
3 Juicing/cider
Ripe: March-May, depending on variety
GOOD OPTIONS
Kingston Black: traditional cider apple, small, crisp, acidic, fruity flavour.
Slack Ma Girdle: sweet fleshed, mediumsized cider apple, also good for jam.
Winter Banana: banana flavour, crisp, juicy, also good for eating and cooking.
4 Long-keeping
Ripe: April-May, depending on variety
GOOD OPTIONS
Northern Spy: crisp, juicy fruit, good for eating and cooking, very hardy tree in marginal conditions, eg wet, heavy soil.
Calville Blanc d’Hiver: very late dessert apple, sweet-spicy flesh, high in vitamin C, great for cooking, cider.