Apple Tree Antonówka Półtorapoundowa - Malus domestica

The Antonovka Półtorapoundowa Apple Tree is an old variety from Russia, which explains its very good hardiness. The medium-sized tree produces a beautiful spring flowering that contrasts nicely with the foliage. This summer variety produces very large yellowish-green fruits towards the end of August, or even a little earlier, which can be eaten raw or cooked in desserts. Their fine and juicy flesh is also perfect for making delicious juices. Highly resistant to diseases, this self-sterile Apple Tree requires the presence of another variety for pollination and therefore fruit set.

The Apple Tree is an important member of the large Rosaceae family, which also includes most of our other fruit trees (Apricot Tree, Plum Tree, Raspberry Bush...). It also includes many wild species from our forests and countryside, as well as many ornamental plants (Cotoneaster, Physocarpus...). The genus Malus is rich in about forty species, both fruit-bearing like the Common Apple Tree or Malus domestica (synonyms, Malus communis or Malus pumila) and also flowering species, such as the sculptural Malus 'Appletini'. Cultivated since Roman times, there are now around 20,000 cultivars worldwide.
The Malus 'Antonovka Półtorapoundowa' is a Russian variety discovered in 1988 by the agronomist and nurseryman Ivan Michurin. The medium-sized tree can reach 3 to 4 meters in height and forms a wide, spherical crown, made up of upright, slender shoots. Similar to the Antonovka Zwykła variety, it differs in its larger, dark green elliptical leaves with dentate edges. Its fruits are also larger and ripen faster in summer. It also has a relatively early fruiting period, starting 2 to 3 years after planting. In April-May, the tree produces a charming flowering consisting of small single flowers in pinkish white. Gathered in umbels, they attract numerous pollinating insects and thus promote biodiversity in the garden. In this self-sterile tree, the flowers cannot self-pollinate, so another cultivar must be planted nearby to act as a pollinator. The most well-known for this role are 'Antonovka Zwykła' and 'Olive Jaune'. Once pollinated, the flowers develop into very large fruits of 7-8 cm in diameter and weighing up to 600 grams. Yellowish-green in color, they ripen in mid-August. The white flesh is fine, very juicy, and has a pleasant slightly acidic taste. A dessert apple, it is delicious eaten raw at the foot of the tree, and is equally suitable for making juices, desserts, or compotes. However, it should be consumed quickly, as it does not store well and is not very tolerant to transportation. The harvest is often abundant, but the variety tends to alternate, meaning a year of heavy harvest is often followed by a lean year as the tree replenishes its reserves (fruiting is an energy-intensive process in plants...).

Easy to grow in slightly moist soil, very cold-resistant, this Apple Tree is not susceptible to powdery mildew or scab. It will delight fans of large fruits, and its moderate growth allows it to find a place even in a garden with limited space. To vary the pleasures and harvest times, plant it alongside small fruits like the Redcurrant 'Jonkheer van Tets', whose small acidic red fruits will delight you from June. With a Cherry Tree 'Bigarreau Burlat', you can even start enjoying your harvest from June. And to extend the fruit season into autumn, consider the Common Medlar 'Westerveld', whose curious fruits are harvested after the first frosts, or the Persimmon, which offers its superb yellow-orange fruits until December.