“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”
– Hippocrates
Let’s plant old varieties of fruit trees
Let’s not forget about old varieties of fruit trees that slowly disappear from our landscape. They represent valuable cultural landscape heritage and an important part of our history. These varieties are often local, characteristic only of a particular area, and they have a unique, original taste. Old varieties of fruit trees have been growing in our area for ages. There are plenty of apple varieties. No one knows exactly how many. Some of the old apple varieties have become irreversibly extinct. We are trying to rescue what is left for future generations and we hope for your support in our efforts. There are people who grow nurseries to preserve at least some of this natural biodiversity and cultural heritage.
Let’s join them and plant a fruit tree of an old variety
It is a worthy effort because:
- We are creating a gene bank for the next generations.
- Old apple tree varieties are good and we do not want to lose them forever.
- Many Polish apples are tastier than imported or modern varieties.
- Older native varieties can be stored for a longer time.
- They are highly immune to diseases and more capable of withstanding our climate conditions (winters).
- No apples are more aromatic or more delicious than the good old Antonovka apples.
- They are better adapted to local farming conditions.
- They are time-tested because they have grown in our areas for generations.
The apples from our childhood are the best!
The interest in old varieties is currently on the rise. People remember the taste of their delicious apples and want to have access to them. The interest is anticipated to grow even further. The trees of old varieties are friendly to the natural environment. So PLANT a tree this season. You don’t have your own land? Talk to a relative or a befriended farmer or allotment garden owner and plant a tree on their land. Or give it to someone as a present, thus helping save native varieties of fruit trees.
Here is the list of old varieties that we currently have for sale:
Apple trees
- White Transparent
- Antonovka White
- Regular Antonovka
- Framboise d’Oberland
- Transparente de Croncels
- Ananas Berżenicki
- Landsberger Reinette
- Grey Reinette
- Spartan
- Burgundy
- Żeleźniak
Plum trees
- Greengage ‘Ulena’
- Common Purple Plum
- Early Purple Plum
- pear trees:
- Clapp’s Favourite Pear
- Patten Pear
- General Lecterc Pear
- Conference Pear
These tree varieties have been grown on the A2 (Alnarp) rootstock. The rootstock was selected from a group of mixed sweet apple trees (Doucin) in 1920 by Johansson in the Alnarp Research Station (Sweden). It is highly frost-resistant and shows low sensitivity to the crown gall disease. It has low soil requirements and grows intensely.
The production of seedlings is overseen by the Polish Main Inspectorate of Plant Health and Seed Inspection. The recommended intervals for the planting of apple and pear trees is 5m x 5m, and for plum trees – 3m x 3m.
The price of one tree seedling is PLN 20. Delivery by courier – PLN 30. Total PLN 50.
One delivery may contain from one to ten trees.
Please include the following details while placing the order: full name, address with a postal code, phone number and e-mail address.
Cash on Delivery.
After we receive the order, we will inform you about the shipping date by e-mail.
Where to order? By e-mail: aronia52@o2.pl
All the information are available on the phone: 607 887 934 – Andrzej Chilicki
Orders can be placed immediately, as soon as possible, now is the best time for planting. Do not delay your order.
The Augustów & Podlasie Organic Farmers’ Association (Augustowsko-Podlaskie Stowarzyszenie Eko Rolników – ASER) was founded in 2005 and it is a community form of cooperation between organic farmers. It operates to protect the natural and cultural heritage in rural areas. The numerous activities of our Association include the project “Biebrza Biodiversity – We Protect Old Orchards.” You can learn more on https://www.ekorolnik.info/projekty.html – the Association’s website.
There is a video on the Youtube NTV channel about old orchards.
I have an organic Black Chokeberry plantation in the Biebrzański National Park. We manufacture for instance Organic Chokeberry Juice from over the Biebrza, which you can order from us for your own needs. We also deliver by courier. The shipping cost of one to three boxes is PLN 30. A box includes 12 bottles 480 ml each.
Chokeberry is one of the healthiest fruit in the world.
More information:
Eko – Aronia – Rolnik
We will be grateful for your assistance in spreading the idea of saving old varieties of fruit trees among those who may be potentially interested and we will appreciate any support you may show for our efforts in this respect.
Chairman of the Augustów & Podlasie Organic Farmer’s Association
Andrzej Chilicki