German gardeners cultivate trees with multiple apple varieties

Gardeners in Germany have successfully cultivated fruit trees bearing numerous distinct apple varieties through the process of grafting.

In Rendsburg, gardener Jochen Bock maintains a ‘100-sort tree’ at the Nordkolleg garden. By grafting various branches onto a single trunk, Bock has managed to preserve historical and regional varieties, such as Holsteiner Cox and Müschens Rosenapfel. He manages the process by storing shoots in moist cloths and refrigerators during winter before grafting them onto the main tree in April using tree wax and binding.

Similarly, in Oberviechtach, gardener Alois Gürtler has developed a tree that carries 28 different apple varieties. Starting 25 years ago with a Kaiser-Wilhelm apple tree as a base, Gürtler has used grafting techniques to add new varieties annually. He notes a success rate of approximately 90 percent, emphasizing the importance of using tree wax on the upper cutting interface to ensure the graft takes hold.