Apple tree (Malus domestica) MONTA

Apple (Malus domestica) 'Monta'

A Latvian winter variety with extremely long storage life and excellent taste.

'Monta' is a premium late-winter variety from Latvia, designed for growers seeking apples with excellent quality and an extremely long storage life. The fruits are very firm, crisp, and juicy, with a harmonious sweet-tart and aromatic flavor. Thanks to its complete immunity to scab and strong growth, it is a promising choice not only for home gardens but also for commercial orchards with an organic focus.

Main advantages of the variety:

• Excellent storability: Lasts for 6–7 months in a standard cellar or refrigerator.
• Exceptionally firm and crisp flesh: Retains its texture even after long storage.
• Excellent sweet-tart taste: The fruits are aromatic and well-balanced in flavor.
• Complete immunity to scab: Does not require spraying against this disease, thanks to the Vf/Rvi6 gene.
• High productivity: Delivers abundant and regular yields.

Origin and Registration

• Country of origin: Latvia
• Breeder: R. Dumbravs
• Cross: ‘Iedzēnu’ × ‘Liberty’
• Year of registration: Protected variety in Latvia since 2012.

Variety Characteristics

Tree

Growth is strong, forming a conical crown. It comes into bearing early, with abundant and relatively regular yields. To achieve large fruits and prevent biennial bearing, it requires regular pruning and fruit thinning.

Fruit

• Size: Medium to large.
• Skin: A yellow-green base color is almost completely covered by an attractive dark red blush.
• Flesh: Very firm, crisp, and juicy.
• Taste: Sweet-tart, very good, and aromatic. The sugar content increases during storage.

Resistance and Requirements

• Scab: The variety is immune.
• Other diseases: Shows no susceptibility to powdery mildew or fruit rot.
• Frost hardiness: Medium, suitable for moderate and warmer locations.

Growing Recommendations

• Use: A top-quality dessert variety for long-term winter storage.
• Suitable rootstocks: Dwarfing (B9, B396) or semi-dwarfing (MM106) for better growth control.
• Fruit thinning: Necessary to achieve uniform size and quality of the fruit.

Harvest and Storage

• Harvest time: In the first half of October.
• Eating maturity: Reached 2–3 months after storage (from December/January). It is not recommended to eat them directly after harvest.
• Storability: Excellent; in a good cellar, it will last until April/May.