Jonagold
| Origin | Golden Delicious × Jonathan, 1943, released 1968, Geneva, New York, USA. |
|---|---|
| Tree | Vigorous, more suitable for cool climate. |
| Disease status | Susceptible to scab, mildew and fireblight. |
| Chilling requirement | High. |
| Blossom and pollination |
Mid season. Granny Smith, Delicious. Triploid variety, so will not reciprocate with pollen for pollinator variety. Red strains flower at same time but will not cross-pollinate each other. |
| Fruit shape | Large tall conical. |
| Skin and flesh |
Attractive bright red striped, waxy, but colour in the middle of the tree can be pale; needs good light penetration for good colour. Late summer pruning can help colour. Creamy, well-flavoured flesh; very fine taste, rough texture, crisp and juicy. |
| Harvest and yield |
1–2 weeks after Delicious. Heavy cropping, single fruiting; does not normally need thinning. |
| Storage | Good; shelf life may not be long if left too long to colour. Some bitter pit; can be calcium-deficient. |
| Appearance |
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Red strains
Crowngold - Patented by Flemings. Branch sport at Brogdale, Kent, UK. More solid bright red than normal Jonagold; paler at East Malling than some other red strains; bright red with dashes of darker red, otherwise similar to Jonagold.
Jonagored - Patent by Flemings. Limb sport of Jonagold 1985 from Jos and Rose Morren, Halen, Belgium. Colour tends to be brownish 3 weeks before harvest, but this changes to an attractive bright solid red with a slight stripe, one of the best colours; original was stripey but now is smooth red flush, similar to Rubinstar, otherwise similar to Jonagold; can suffer from sunburn and lack of flesh texture if grown in hot areas.
New Jonagold - Patent by Flemings. Mutation of Jonagold, M. Saito, Aomori Prefecture, Japan (patent). Deep red stripe but slightly redder overall than Jonagold and brighter; superseded by Jonagored, slightly earlier than Jonagold; susceptible to bitter pit and sunburn; may need multiple picking.
Rubinstar - Patent by ANFIC. Bud sport of Jonagold (very stable) at Gaiberg, Germany in 1980. More intense red over 70–90% of surface with little or no stripe; shorter shape, similar to Jonagored, matures about a week earlier.
Wilmuta - Patent by Flemings. Heat treated 2361, Gilles, Belgium, named at Wilhelminadorp, Netherlands. Very similar to New Jonagold; bright red with dashes of darker red.
This information forms part of Agfact H4.1.12 Apple varieties.
