Obelis Malus domestica "Monta"

• Type: winter apple (Latvian variety)
• Botanical name: Malus domestica "Monta"
• Height and spread: vigorous, spreading, 3–5 m (depends on rootstock; dwarfing ones recommended)
• Flowering: May, white to pinkish blossom
• Fruit: medium to large, dark red, crisp, sweet-sharp
• Ripening and storage: pick in the first half of October, eat from December, keeps 6–7 months
• Light: full sun, sheltered from wind
• Soil: fertile, loose, well-drained, slightly acid to neutral (pH 6–7)
• Hardiness: moderate (like 'Spartan'); in Estonia a warm sheltered spot
• Pollination: self-sterile; suitable pollinators e.g. 'Alwa', 'Spartan'
• Use: winter dessert apple for storing; home and organic gardens
• Size: potted tree

Planting. Plant in spring or autumn (until the end of September) in a sunny spot sheltered from wind, where cold air and water do not collect. Dig a hole 60–80 cm wide and 50–60 cm deep and mix in compost. Keep the graft union 3–5 cm above soil level and tie the tree to a stake. It needs a fairly long growing season – choose the warmest, sunniest spot in the garden.

Watering and feeding. In the first summer water deeply once a week in dry spells (10–20 l per tree). In spring give a nitrogen fruit-tree fertiliser or compost; in the second half of summer use only potassium and phosphorus so the shoots ripen before winter. Keep the root zone weed-free and mulched.

Care. Do formative pruning in early spring before bud break: remove dead, crossing and inward-growing branches. It tends to develop bare wood, so prune regularly and thin the fruit for large apples and regular crops. In autumn protect the trunk from rodents with a guard and whitewash it.

Gardener's tip. Store the apples 2–3 months in a cellar or fridge before eating – flavour and sweetness develop in storage. Fresh from the tree 'Monta' is still tart.