Florina apple plant, winter variety

Florina apple plants One-year-old plants are 1.5–1.8 m tall. Fruit weighs 120–150 g, reaching 160 g with thinning and crop regulation. Further details are available in the characteristics section. A French winter variety developed in 1977 using Jonathan, Golden Delicious and Rome Beauty. Winter hardiness is moderate. The source describes high resistance to scab, brown rot, powdery mildew, fire blight and aphids, reducing the need for repeated chemical disease treatments. Fruiting begins 2–3 years after planting, with yields of 60–70 kg per tree and no stated alternate bearing. Fruit has good flavour, keeping quality and transportability. Apples are uniform, truncated-cylindrical and gently ribbed. Light yellow skin has a red blush, a greyish bloom and white subcutaneous dots over the surface. It is firm, moderately thick and elastic. Pale yellow flesh is moderately firm and sweet with barely noticeable acidity. Flavour and aroma improve during storage. Harvest is in late September–early October, depending on climate, with eating maturity in January. Avoid overripening to preserve storage life. Average storage is 5 months, or 7 months in a refrigerator or cellar. Suitable for fresh eating and preserving.