Josef Lechner from Wambach discovered his passion for fruit trees late.
Today the 71-year-old is a sought-after expert.
Wambach - Josef Lechner discovered his true passion late: five years ago he started growing fruit trees.
Today the 71-year-old from Wambach has earned a first-class reputation, a great business and a distinctive nickname: the Apfe-Sepp.
He is happy to show his visitors and customers his "orchard" that he has set up behind the house.
“This is where we start with de Kerschn, Zwetgschen, Pflaumen”, he says and proudly points to the fruit trees that he has grown himself and that are arranged in a row. It looks professional here, like in a horticultural business. All trees are neatly labeled. It is followed by the apples, "the early and the late". And he also has pears and apple quinces in his range. He also has rarities like the “Zabergäu Renette”, but he prefers to respond to the wishes of his customers, who want the most popular varieties. Berry fruit can also be found here, along with locust and josta berries, there are also quite impressive aronia bushes. “They are insensitive,” he states.
Its fruit is of different ages. “I did that this year. They are already driving out. The shoot comes out, ”he beams and points to wildlings. You can buy wildlings, with cherries you can even go out into the forest and get one and refine it. "But then they usually have a very large Bam, and d'Leid wolln heid kleanane." Wildlings also have the "Colt" variety, where the trunks are three or four meters, he says and emphasizes: "That is mediocre." You need a bigger one for hammocks.
Smaller trees are only two to three meters high.
“If you wish, I can also make high stems, which are then eight or ten meters high.
But you have to order them, the normal garden is no longer that big.
At most a solitary tree will fit in there.
It takes twelve years to bear. ”Trees like this used to be planted in the orchards.
Back then you still needed a lot of juice and must, he says.
+
The columnar trees in the pot are becoming more and more interesting for people.
They don't take up much space and you can still harvest some fruit.
Pillar apples form their fruits directly on the trunk.
This makes the plants ideal when space is scarce.
© Birgit Lang
Column fruit is also getting better and better, says Lechner about the slow-growing varieties that grow extremely slender in height.
Pillar apples form their fruits directly on the trunk.
This makes the plants ideal when space is scarce.
"You might have two tubs of apples on it, but they bloom quite nicely."
He is proud of a special order from Pastor Father Paul.
He ordered 56 apple trees from him, 30 different varieties - 52 for the confirmants, four for the helpers.
Everything is green around the narrow corridor, which is lined with fruit trees at different heights.
“The old varieties don't like the warmth.
In the past you never planted apples on the wall of a house, only pears, ”he says, and so he could go on forever telling about his trees.
What he occasionally does at the Moosen farmers' market, "for me these are information days".
It has been a long time since it became apparent that fruit trees would one day become so important to him. After school he started working as a postman. He studied in Dorfen and rode the Post bicycle for two years. After serving in the Bundeswehr, he made it to the middle service and then sat at the counter, transferred to Munich. He was there as a single civil servant for eight years. Then he was lucky, was allowed to go to Landshut and finally to the counter in Velden for 15 years, where he finally also became boss and then worked his way up to the manager of the freight center in Landshut. "I am satisfied with my career."
In terms of family he is not burdened when it comes to fruit tree cultivation.
But he was always impressed when something had grown.
But he preferred to climb up and ate the fruit, mostly much too early, he says with a grin about his childhood.
Around 20 years ago, his first acquaintances asked him if he would like to cut fruit trees for them.
Because he has been in the horticultural association in his home village of Wambach for ages.
“That is just part of it.
It's a social event. ”Word quickly got around that he was cutting trees.
When he went into the resting phase of his partial retirement, he slowly expanded his new hobby.
“Last winter I was cutting trees in 88 gardens.
The dates were fully booked. "
Tree pruning is an art in itself.
What a lot of people do wrong is to cut too much, or too little, or just one side.
"A tree must always be conical, like a kind of pyramid, balanced." Having to be able to throw a hat through, as many claim, is exaggerated for his taste.
“Some of them ruin the tree completely, because you can only see small Asterl.
A tree doesn't look like that, it should also provide shade so that you can sit under it in summer. ”It is then two degrees cooler there.
“A stick doesn't cast a shadow.” In the garden of Apfe-Sepp you can enjoy the shade in the hammock, he knows how to cut trees properly.
BIRGIT LONG
