Organic Apple Tree Reinette de Brive - Malus domestica

The Organic Apple Tree 'Reinette de Brive' is an old variety, it is not very vigorous but hardy, and the tree has regular productivity. It is also very resistant to scab on the leaves and fruits, as well as to monilia and aphids. The apple is described as the best long-storage apple in some publications. It is also a fruit of high quality, its aroma is very vegetal and atypical, with hints of herbaceousness or fresh leaves.  In terms of appearance, the apple is yellow-green with brown to grey spots and a fairly wide corky ring around the stem, which earned it the nickname "black-bottomed reinette". The skin sometimes takes on a slight carmine pink or orange streaks when exposed to sunlight. Plants from Organic Agriculture.

The apple tree is native to Europe, especially in France where its presence has been documented since ancient times. The 'Reinette de Brive' Apple Tree is an old variety whose origins are located in Corrèze, Haute-Vienne, Creuse and even in the Southwest. The tree exhibits regular productivity despite average, or even modest, vigour. At maturity, it reaches about 3m (10ft) in height and 2.50m (8ft) in width, depending on the growing conditions.   The white, semi-late and staggered flowering prevents the most destructive frosts. This apple tree grows very well up to medium altitude mountains. Self-sterile, the presence of apple trees blooming at the same time is necessary. The 'Reinette de Caux' and 'Reine des Reinette' varieties are the most suitable pollinators, while 'Golden Delicious' will also do the job. Harvesting takes place in November and the picked fruits can be consumed until April-May, and even longer if optimal storage conditions are met. To fully enjoy its flavors, it is recommended to only eat these apples from January onwards. For storage, a cool and well-ventilated room is needed, with an ideal temperature of 8°C (46.4°F). A garage or basement is better than a cellar, which is often too humid. The picked apples, not fallen, should be placed on clean shelves or crates, flat with the stem down, and ideally separated from each other by 1 or 2cm of empty space.

The fruits are of good size, slightly larger than the average apple, they are round to slightly conical, somewhat asymmetrical, and slightly ribbed. The skin colour is yellow-green, becoming golden yellow at the base, marked by small gray-bronze spots and adorned with a large brown circle around the stem. This rough-looking skin encloses a highly fragrant flesh. André Leroy's Pomology dictionary describes it as exquisite. It is juicy, sweet, and pleasantly acidic.

These apples are particularly good for eating fresh. They can of course be used in pastries, jams, or savoury dishes, paired with Normandy cheeses, for example.

Thinning of the fruits is obligatory for this variety, keep one or two fruits per cluster depending on the vigour of the branches that bear them.  

For transport reasons, our tallest scions may be pruned before shipment. They are suitable for all common training sizes: cordons, espaliers, goblets, half-standards, and low standards, except for the formation of tall standards. If you would like more information or advice on training your fruit trees, please do not hesitate to contact us.