HOWGATE WONDER APPLE TREE

Howgate Wonder is an apple variety which divides opinions more than perhaps most other apples do. The reason for this is possibly that it does better in cooler but not overly wet parts of the UK. In wet conditions it can suffer from scab spots of the skin but properly stored these develop only very slowly.

The reasons for growing this variety can be very compelling if you already have more than one apple tree. It looks magnificent, it stores into the New Year like no other apple and it’s huge! Use as a cooker and also an eater but at the correct times during storage.

PARENTAGE

The parents of Howgate Wonder are Blenheim Orange and Newton Wonder. It was first grown in 1916 at Howgate Lane in Bembridge on the Isle of Wight. The original site of the apple tree, 4, Hope Gardens is still there and occupied but unfortunately the original tree was disposed of in 1968.

APPEARANCE, TASTE AND CHARACTERISTICS OF HOWGATE WONDER

The overwhelming visual feature of this apple variety is that it is always larger than your average apple and in many cases it is quite simply huge. The skin is green with red-brown and yellow stripes.

The shape is essentially round although larger apples may be rather irregular. It is classified by most books and websites as a cooking apple and it does this job well but read reviews and opinions from individuals and you’ll find that many use it as an eater as well. When cooked it retains its shape to some degree.

Pest and disease resistance for Howgate Wonder is very good making it suitable for growing under organic conditions.

The key to making the most of this apple is to use it as a cooker when it is picked around mid October up until mid December and then start to use it as an eater (when the sweetness comes through) from January to March. Storage for five to six months is a very real possibility with this apple variety and it only needs a dry, unheated garage to achieve this. What eventually does the apples in is the rise in temperature at the end of March

The flesh of Howgate Wonder is firm and juicy with the sweetness increasing the longer it is stored.

One key use for this variety is for juicing. With many varieties juicing is simply not a good proposition because the number of apples used is so high. But with the very large apples of this variety the problem disappears. If you have any doubts about flavour then click here and you will see that Copella use Howgate Wonder in their juices. If it’s good enough for them then it’s good enough for you and me!

Consider this, a third of a litre of Copella apple juice will cost you over a pound at the supermarket but will only require a couple of large Howgate Wonder apples to make that amount. Not only that, yours will be unpasteurised whereas Copella (and all commercial apple juices) juices are pasteurised. If you don’t have an apple press don’t worry, click here for notes on making perfect apple juice by hand.

BUYING A HOWGATE WONDER APPLE TREE

Howgate Wonder is not a commonly found apple tree variety but there are a couple of online suppliers who recognise the full worth of this variety.

SUMMARY CHARACTERISTICS OF HOWGATE WONDER

USE: Cooking, eating and juicing

SKIN COLOUR / TEXTURE: Yellow / green background flushed with reds and orange

FLESH COLOUR: White

TASTE AND TEXTURE: Sweeter then most cooker, firm texture with lots of juice

FRUIT SIZE: Much larger than average

STORAGE: Up to six months

SUITABILITY FOR CORDON / ESPALIER GROWTH: No

TREE SIZE: Larger than average depending on rootstock and conditions

REGULARITY OF CROPPING: Regular

READY FOR PICKING / HARVEST:

Second week of October

POLLINATION: Group 3, partially self-fertile, benefits from a suitable pollination partner

AWARDS: RHS Award of Merit 1929

SPECIAL FEATURES: One of the largest apples, cooking eating and juicing. Stores until March.

FLOWERING AND HARVEST TIMES

The average flowering time (optimum time for pollination) and date when fruits are ripe for harvest in the UK for the Howgate Wonder are set out below. If you have set your home town we can give you a more accurate estimate, if you have not set your home town (do it now by clicking here) the dates below will be the average for the UK.

Your town has not been set, the average main flowering time for Howgate Wonder in the UK is the first to second weeks of May. Fruit will be ready for harvesting in the second week of October. Click here if you want to set the dates to your home town.

Flowering and fruit picking dates vary according to the weather in any particular growing season so the above dates may well change slightly from one year to the next. The flowering date above is when the apple tree produces the maximum number of blossoms, it will also produce blossom, although less, a week or two either side of the date given.

HOWGATE WONDER POLLINATION

We list below varieties which are suitable pollination partners for Howgate Wonder which is in pollination group 3 and partially self-fertile.

Alkmene – pollination group 2, self-sterile, eater
Arthur Turner – pollination group 3, self-sterile, cooker
Beauty of Bath – pollination group 2, self-sterile, eater
Bountiful – pollination group 3, self-sterile, cooker
Braeburn – pollination group 4, self-fertile, eater
Charles Ross – pollination group 3, partially self-fertile, cooker and eater
Court of Wick – pollination group 3, self-sterile, eater and cooker
Devonshire Quarrenden – pollination group 2, partially self-fertile, cooker
Discovery – pollination group 3, self-sterile, eating and cider
Dumelows Seedling – pollination group 4, self-sterile, cooker
Egremont Russet – pollination group 2, partially self-fertile, eater and cooker
Ellison’s Orange – pollination group 4, partially self-fertile, eater
Falstaff – pollination group 3, self-fertile, eater
Fiesta – pollination group 3, partially self-fertile, eater
Gala – pollination group 4, partially self-fertile, eater
Golden Delicious – pollination group 4, partially self-fertile, eater and cooker
Granny Smith – pollination group 3, self-fertile, eater and cooker
Greensleeves – pollination group 2, self-fertile, eater, cooker, juice
Grenadier – pollination group 3, partially self-fertile, cooker
Honeycrisp – pollination group 4, self-sterile, eater
Idared – pollination group 2, self-sterile, eater
James Grieve – pollination group 3, partially self-fertile, cooker and eater
Katy – pollination group 3, self-sterile, both
Kidds Orange Red – pollination group 3, self-sterile, eater
King of The Pippins – pollination group 4, self-fertile, eater and cooker
Lanes Prince Albert – pollination group 4, self-sterile, cooking
Laxtons Fortune – pollination group 3, partially self-fertile, eater
Laxtons Superb – pollination group 4, partially self-fertile, eater
Lord Derby – pollination group 4, self-sterile, cooker
Lord Lambourne – pollination group 2, self-fertile, eater and cooker
Peasgoods Nonsuch – pollination group 3, partially self-fertile, cooker
Rajka – pollination group 4, self-sterile, eater
Red Falstaff – pollination group 3, self-fertile, eater
Red Windsor – pollination group 2, self-fertile, eater
Reverend W Wilks – pollination group 2, self-fertile, cooker
Scrumptious – pollination group 3, self-fertile, eater
Sops in Wine – pollination group 3, self-sterile, eater
Spartan – pollination group 3, self-fertile, eater
Sunset – pollination group 3, self-fertile, eater
Tydemans Late Orange – pollination group 4, self-sterile, eater
Waltz – pollination group 3, self-sterile, eater
Winston – pollination group 4, self-fertile, eater
Worcester Pearmain – pollination group 3, partially self-fertile, eater

MORE PAGES ABOUT GROWING APPLE TREES:

HOW TO GROW APPLE TREES

HOW TO PLANT AN APPLE TREE

CARING FOR APPLE TREES

PRUNING APPLE TREES

HARVESTING AND STORING APPLES

APPLE TREE PESTS AND DISEASES

APPLE TREE POLLINATION GROUPS