BALACLAVA

The 'Balaklava' apple variety is an autumn dessert type bred at the Crimean Experimental Station of Horticulture. The tree is medium-sized or weak-growing with a round or widely pyramidal crown of medium density. The variety is characterized by high earliness, entering fruiting in the third to fourth year after planting. The fruiting type is mixed, predominantly ring-bearing, with late flowering. Winter hardiness is high for Crimea, but in the middle latitudes, frost resistance is considered low.

The fruits of the Balaklava variety are large, weighing about 160 grams, cylindrical or elongated-conical in shape, slightly ribbed. The fruit skin is tender, smooth, and waxy, colored light yellow with a pink blush. The flesh is white, tender, finely grained, of medium density, very juicy with a pleasant sweet-sour taste and a weak aroma. The variety has medium yield, which on dwarf rootstock can reach up to 40 tons per hectare.

The variety has medium resistance to scab and powdery mildew, which ensures stable fruiting with proper care. Despite the high quality of the fruits and their dessert properties, the variety has a drawback—low transportability, which requires careful handling during harvesting and transport. Balaklava is excellently suited for growing in regions with a mild climate, especially in Crimea and the North Caucasus.