Columnar Apple Tree Chinon - Georges Delbard

The Chinon® delcoblu Columnar Apple Tree is an excellent variety known for the beautiful colour of its fruits. It is perfectly suited for small gardens and growing in large pots on the terrace. With a maximum height of 4 metres (13 feet), it can easily be contained at a height of 2 metres (7 feet). Very productive and fast-growing, it quickly bears fruit and offers medium-sized apples with an exceptional colour: a beautiful bluish pink tinged with violet. Almost as delicious as they are beautiful, their flesh reveals a perfectly balanced flavor between tart and sweet.

These fruits are harvested in late summer, from August to September, and can be consumed immediately until October.

Hardy, the Chinon® Columnar Apple Tree can withstand temperatures as low as -20°C (-4°F) and usually blooms in April-May. It is a vigorously growing and fast-fruiting variety that produces its first apples 2 to 3 years after planting, sometimes even earlier. It is also resistant to diseases.

This apple tree, like all espaliered forms, requires staking.

Decorative and space-saving, it only requires about 60cm (24in) in width. Like dwarf apple trees, columnar forms are ideal for small gardens, as well as in large pots on the terrace. They can also be easily installed along the edge of a vegetable garden or even in the middle of vegetables, as they do not create too much shade. Finally, this type of fruit tree is very practical because the fruits are easy to pick.

The Chinon® Columnar Apple Tree is not self-fertile, so in order to bear abundant fruit, it should be planted near varieties that bloom at the same time, such as the 'Reine des Reinettes', which is present in many gardens.

The apple tree (Malus pumila or domestica) is a fruit tree belonging to the Rosaceae family. It is cultivated almost everywhere in the world and includes countless varieties, both old and modern, that produce apples of varying sizes and flavours.

Apple trees are native trees in Europe, including France, where their presence has been documented since ancient times. They are hardy, with some varieties able to withstand temperatures as low as -30°C (-22°F), and can be grown almost everywhere.

The size of the domestic apple tree does not exceed ten metres in height, with a similar width. However, the size can be much smaller depending on the vigour of the rootstock used. This fruit tree usually has a tall trunk that naturally spreads out. It comes in different forms (bush, half-standard, standard...) and can be trained in many ways (columnar, cordon, espalier...)

Apple tree leaves are deciduous and alternate on the branches. They have an oval and toothed lamina. The upper surface is dark green and the lower surface is whitish and slightly fuzzy.

In spring, apple trees bear white or pinkish-white flowers grouped in corymbs. Apple flowers consist of 5 petals, surrounding a center composed of about 20 stamens. They give rise to fleshy fruits (drupe, from a botanical perspective), spherical and filled with pips. Their colour, size, flavour, and shelf life vary depending on the variety.

Rarely self-fertile, the apple tree is a fruit tree that requires the presence of other apple trees blooming at the same time and in close proximity to bear fruit.

Apple trees can be grown in all climates, but they particularly thrive in temperate regions, preferably humid ones, such as Normandy. They enjoy full sun in reasonably moist and fertile soil. They are traditionally grown in orchards but can also be grown as standalone trees or hedges.

Apple trees are easy fruit trees that require at least thinning pruning. Proper fruiting pruning will prevent alternate bearing (fruiting every other year). An annual or biennial application of well-decomposed compost also promotes apple tree productivity.

Apples are harvested in late summer and autumn and can sometimes be stored for a long period in a cellar and consumed until early spring. Apples can be used in a wide variety of culinary preparations (compote, pies, jellies), but they can also be used to make apple juice or cider.

This fruit tree is delivered in a "ready-to-plant" root ball. During planting, the root ball should be planted as is. The biodegradable tontine that surrounds the root ball and preserves the rootlets will decompose on its own during the plant's growth. By doing so, you ensure better establishment.