In the future, top fruit farms in the Rhineland will focus on the apple variety "Evelina". A few days ago, the Landgard producer cooperative, together with the fruit-growing company Sonntag in Wachtberg, planted around 5,000 biennial trees of the variety derived from Pinova, which are marketed under the registered trademark "Evelina".
Next year, another 2,500 Evelina trees are to follow at Obsthof Sonntag. With around 40 hectares of top fruit and ten hectares of berry fruit, the company is one of the leading fruit growing operations in the Meckenheim area. "Matthias Sonntag is one of our ten strong Landgard growers who have planted a total of 18 hectares of the 'Evelina' variety in the Rhineland since the start in spring 2019," says Thomas Schlich, Managing Director of Landgard Obst & Gemüse.
"Through the cooperation agreement with Evelina Germany, Landgard will continuously expand the marketing of Evelina apples in the West Region. In the next few years we want to expand production together with our producers to at least 75 hectares by planting more apples."
Landgard producers Matthias Sonntag (left) and Thomas Schlich, Managing Director Landgard Obst & Gemüse ©Landgard/Lina Nikelowski
Since the new apple variety is derived from the well-known Pinova, the producers are already well acquainted with the special requirements and characteristics of the "Evelina" trees and can mostly draw on many years of first-hand experience. "The trees grow between 2.40 and 3.40 metres tall and, thanks to their late flowering time, are less susceptible to late night frosts, such as those that occurred in large parts of Germany last week," explains Landgard grower Matthias Sonntag
High quality & shelf life
"The colouring of the fruit is less influenced by hail nets, so Evelina' fruit friends are already attracted by the beautiful red colour at first sight. In addition, the apples have a crunchy flesh and a special sweet, fresh taste. Due to their high quality and storage life, the fruits can also be marketed until spring and thus extend the domestic apple season for Landgard producers in the Rhineland from the 2022/2023 season onwards."
View of the new top fruit plantation ©Landgard/Lina Nikelowski
The sale of apples is supported by Evelina Deutschland LLC through extensive marketing and advertising activities from advertisements and social media campaigns to video and TV adds. The aim is to get young consumers in particular excited about the aromatic apple. True to the motto "Evelina, surprisingly apple!"
For more information:
www.landgard.de
www.evelina-apfel.de/
www.obsthof-sonntag.de/