Hugh Ermen

Hugh Ermen (1928–2009) was a British horticulturalist,.[1][2][3] considered one of the United Kingdom's leading amateur apple breeders. He specialised in breeding new apple varieties,[4] especially own root trees, and was awarded the Royal Horticultural Society Associate of Honour in 1988 for his contributions to pomology.[5]

Varieties

The varieties he propagated at the Brogdale Horticultural Experimental Station include popular British garden apples such as:

  • Core Blimey,[6]
  • Herefordshire Russet
  • Laura (ornamental)
  • Limelight
  • Red Devil
  • Scrumptious
  • Sweet Society
  • White Star (ornamental)
  • Winter Gem

Trees developed by Ermen, such as Scrumptious, have received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[7][8]

Legacy

Ermen worked at the Ministry of Agriculture's National Fruit Trials at Brogdale in Kent until his retirement; this is where he began to advocate the use of own root fruit trees.[9] He argued that the artificial propagation of two different types of tree created a degree of incompatibility. By growing the fruit tree on its own roots this incompatibility was removed and as a result the tree would be more healthy, live longer, and the fruit would have more flavour. Since the turn of the millennium this research has been adopted both commercially and academically with a view to producing healthier and longer living fruit trees.[10][11]

References
  1. Thorpe, David, 13/11/2014, The One Planet Life: A Blueprint For Low Impact Development, Taylor and Francis, p376, isdn9781317625902
  2. Whitefield, Patrick, 01/10/2011, The Earth Care Manual, Permanent Publications, p254, ISBN 185623021X
  3. Sunday Mercury, Birmingham, England 15 July 2001 https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-76546055.html Archived 2016-09-11 at the Wayback Machine
  4. Studies in the History or British Fruit, Part 2 p26, Royal Horticultural Society, RHS Lindley Library, https://www.rhs.org.uk/about-the-rhs/pdfs/publications/lindley-library-occasional-papers/volume-7-march-2012
  5. Horticulture Weekly, London, England, 15 January 2010 http://www.hortweek.com/fruit-gardening-worlds-mourn-deaths-three-highly-respected-figures/article/977348
  6. Daily Express, London, England 24 September 2015 http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/garden/607663/Plant-apple-trees-winter
  7. http://mygarden.rhs.org.uk/blogs/graham_rice_on_trials/archive/2010/03/31/agm-for-scrumptious-apple.aspx
  8. Phil Corbett, "Own-root fruit trees," Guest Essay in The Earth Care Manual: A Permaculture Handbook for Britain and Other Temperate Countries," by Patrick Whitefield, Hyden House Limited, 2005, ISBN 9781856230216
  9. Whitefield, Patrick, 01/10/2011, The Earth Care Manual, Permanent Publications, p254, ISBN 185623021X
  10. Thorpe, David, 13/11/2014, The One Planet Life: A Blueprint For Low Impact Development, Taylor and Francis, p376, ISBN 9781317625902
  11. Ben Raskin, The Organic Grower, The Organic Growers Alliance, Spring 2009, p28, http://www.organicgrowersalliance.co.uk/sites/default/files/OG8%20Growing%20fruit%20trees%20on%20their%20own%20roots-%20Raskin.pdf
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