Apple Lesken

Winter variety selected by the North Caucasus Research Institute of Mountain and Piedmont Horticulture. Obtained by hybridization of London Pippin with Cassel Renet. Breeders: P. P. Kostyuk, R. S. Shidakov, O. A. Varkvasov, V. N. Berbekov. Approved for cultivation in the Kabardino-Balkar Republic.

Medium-sized tree. Young crown is broadly rounded, becomes spreading and sparse during full fruiting. Trunk is thick with smooth gray-brown bark. Main branches are light gray-brown, emerge at obtuse angles, inclined vertically. Dominant fruiting forms are short spurs and ringlets.

Medium-thick, gray-brown, straight shoots with medium-length internodes. Leaves are dark green, glossy, large, broadly egg-shaped, with coarse venation. Leaf blade is concave, with serrated edges. Petiole is medium in length and thickness. Petiole leaves are medium, elongated.

Flowers are medium-sized, cup-shaped, whitish-pink with medium-length hairy stigmas; stigmas are positioned at the same level as stamens.

Fruits are medium-sized (average weight 145 g), one-dimensional, rounded-conical in shape. Surface is smooth. Main color at harvest maturity is light green with slight sunburn, turns light yellow during consumer maturity. Peduncle is short and thick. Calyx does not fall off, contains medium-sized, elongated-oval, brown seeds. Calyx tube is funnel-shaped.

Flesh is light yellow, firm, fine-grained, juicy, tart-sweet flavor with mild aroma. Sugar content — 10.7%, titratable acids — 0.56%, ascorbic acid — 7.4 mg/100g.

Late-winter ripening variety. Fruit storage until February-March.

Very early fruiting variety (fruiting starts from the 3rd year after planting in orchards), high yield, weak fruiting periodicity. High resistance to scab, moderate resistance to powdery mildew.

Advantages of the variety: high, regular yield, good fruit quality, resistance to scab.

Disadvantages of the variety: spreading sparse crown, insufficient fruit quality preservation during storage.