New Apple Cultivars: Creston

Originally tested as (8M-15-10). Parentage is Golden Delicious X NJ 381049 from the breeding program at the Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre - Summerland, B.C. It has large, high-quality fruit similar to Jonagold but possessing greater firmness and storage quality. Picked just before Red Delicious and after Empire with multiple pickings suggested for maximum colour. Creston is productive.

Fruit is red but total red over colour is less than 50% and often around 25%. Colours best in the cooler regions of B.C. Large fruit with yellow flesh and good resistance to browning. Flavour is excellent and distinctive. Skin is greenish yellow with red stripes and no lenticels visible. Some stem bowl russetting is possible, but little skin russetting has occurred at Summerland. Fruit is sweet and low in acid. Not as crisp and firm as Fuji, but just as juicy. Will store in air for 2 months and CA for 4-5 months but fruit may become greasey in storage.

Tree is moderately vigorous with a spreading tendency to bear biennially. Creston is easily overthinned even with very weak thinning treatments.

Susceptible to powdery mildew. Creston is believed to be triploid and should not be used as a pollen source for other cultivars.

Creston has shown good acceptance at farm markets where tested in Ontario.

1999 Apple Catalogue, Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre, Summerland, B.C.
Dr. Susan Brown, New York Fruit quarterly. Volume 7 Number 1, Spring 1999
Dr. J. Cline, Cultivar Trials Report, Horticulture Experiment Station, Simcoe. 1999