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There are lots of summer apples. But one variety is different: The fruit is oblong and slightly conical, the skin is smooth without any russet. More than 50 % are deep red: That is ‘Sommernachtstraum®’. Its fruit flesh is firm and crisp. Its juice sparkles on the tongue.
From its inner quality – its sparkling and crisp fruit offer unequaled opportunities – ‘Sommernachtstraum®’ reminds of an autumn apple, but its picking time is two weeks before ‘Delbardestivale’ and five weeks before ‘Gala’. It is thus the earliest apple with excellent fruit quality. It is the ideal apple for opening the apple season and bridging the gap to the early autumn varieties like ‘Gala’ and ‘Elstar’.
The experiences from farm shops show that fruits of ‘Sommernachtstraum®’ sell much easier than those of other summer varieties. That is the best evidence for its outer and inner quality.
Parentage: ‘Delbardestivale’ × unknown
Breeder: Dr. Michael Neumüller, Bavarian Centre of Pomology and Fruit Breeding, Hallbergmoos, Germany. Plant variety rights are applied for this variety under the designation ‘Bay 1938’.
Tree: The growth is medium during the first few years, later it is weak. Strong pruning, short fruit-wood pruning. Ideal for machine pruning.
Yield: High and very regular, rarely alternate bearing. Fruit thinning essential.
Flower: Diploid. Flowering time early to medium.
Fruit: Picking time two weeks before ‘Delbardestivale’. Medium fruit size, oblong fruit. Red overcolour (50 %), white fruit flesh. Very firm (9.0 kg/cm²). Medium titratable acid content (7-8 g/l). High soluble solids content (13.5-14.5 % Brix). Sparkling and refreshing.
Storage:
Cold storage: temperature: ca. 2 °C. Despite being a summer apple, it stores very well: Keeps firm for about 8 weeks. Then the apple softens.
CA storage: not required for the intended marketing period.
Diseases: Moderate susceptibility to apple scab (similar to ‘Jonagold’). Also well proven in organic farming.
Rating: Ideal summer apple with high inner quality (similar to very good autumn apples).
Specific characteristic: Fruit size increases just shortly before picking time. Fruit colouration very good even under high temperature conditions. The red overcolour develops just few days prior to picking time. Picking is therefore easy: just pick the red ones. Three pickings recommended.
