SAMORODOK KUBANI

The 'Samorodok Kubani' apple cultivar is a medium-sized tree with a rounded crown, which has a pyramidal shape in its youth and becomes spreading during fruiting. The branch bark is smooth and gray, leaves are of medium size, broadly ovoid in shape, dark green with a wrinkled blade and finely serrated margin. Flowers are white with pinkish buds. The tree is fast-growing and early-fruiting, typically beginning to bear fruit on the second or third year after planting on M9 rootstock.

The fruits of the 'Samorodok Kubani' cultivar are of medium size, weighing from 105 to 130 grams, flat-round, weakly ribbed, and golden-yellow in color at commercial maturity. The skin is smooth, of medium thickness, and dry, with few greenish subcutaneous dots. The flesh is greenish, dense, finely granular, juicy, with a sour-sweet and tart taste, possessing a strong aroma. Tasting results rate the flavor highly, making the fruits suitable for consumption and especially for technical use, particularly for juice production.

The cultivar is characterized by high winter hardiness and drought resistance, allowing for successful cultivation in southern regions of Russia. Fruits are harvested at the end of August to early September; they can be stored in a refrigerator until March, retaining their flavor qualities. The primary purpose of the cultivar is juice production, but the fruits are also suitable for fresh consumption. Among the disadvantages, periodic fruiting and relatively small fruit size are noted.