Apple, Golden Delicious
Malus domestica 'Golden Delicious'
3/8-7/8 inch stem diameter at sale, bare root
Sourced from New York
Balanced flavor. Yellow. Mid-season bloom.
Description
Apple enthusiasts are increasingly re-discovering Golden Delicious, which was originally discovered as a seedling by a West Virginia farmer in the 1800s and became a widespread “supermarket apple” by the 1950s. If you didn’t like the Golden Delicious you’ve had from the store, consider that fruit picked for supermarkets is often picked when still green, and then stored for months before sale. In contrast, when allowed to ripen to a golden-green color on the tree the true flavor is revealed - exceptionally sweet and rich, almost like eating raw sugar cane. Golden Delicious is also a versatile apple and can be used both for dessert and cooking purposes. It has an attractive appearance - which can indeed be golden if left to mature on the tree. Hardy to USDA Zone 4, though prefers a warmer, sheltered location. (Description adapted from the Orange Pippin website.)
Other Names: Yellow Delicious. Malus domestica
Native to: Discovered as a seedling in Clay County, West Virginia by J.M and Anderson Mullins on his farm in 1912. The first known publication related to this cultivar is a 1962 interview published in the Charleston Daily Mail with J.M. Mullins.
Flower Color: White
Bloom Period: mid/late (Usually starts to bloom in the middle toward end of April)
Pollination: Self-Pollinating. Yield will improve with cross-pollination. Common compatible cultivars include Gala, Cortland, Empire, Enterprise, Fuji, Granny Smith, Red Delicious.
Fruit Color: Yellow
Fruit Size: Medium-Large
Type: Dessert- Use for baking, fresh eating, sauces, juices
Harvest in: 3-10 years
Harvest Window: Late September
Mature yield: 1-4 bushels (dwarf) 5-10 bushels (semi-dwarf) 10-20 bushels (standard)
Mature height: 8-15’
Mature width: 8-15’
Growth Rate: up to 2’ per year
Light Requirements: Full Sun
Water Requirements: 1 gallon per week or 1 inch rainfall per week
Fertilizer:
- Years 1-4: Do not apply fertilizer until you see fruit. If growth rate is less than 6” per year, apply fertilizer the following spring.
- Fruit set onward: Follow Label.
- Fertilizer: 10-10-10 applied once in spring before flowering, once in May after flowering, and once more a month later in June. Do not apply in or after July. Follow fertilizer directions, do not apply more than annual rate in any year. You can divide your annual rate into thirds for three applications.
- Soil pH: 6.0-7.0
Disease: Resistance to apple scab. Moderate resistance to fire blight. Susceptible to rust and mildews.
Pruning: Late Winter
Notes: Apple Trees are grafted on separate rootstock at the Nursery. Root stock may either be EMLA 7 or EMLA 111. EMLA 7 is more resistant to fire blight and cold weather and produces a dwarf sized tree. EMLA 111 is a commonly used vigorous rootstock that produces a semi-dwarf tree.