An attractive, highly disease-resistant apple, ideal for organic growers.
Golden Delicious Apple on G.935 (Spring 2024)
One of America's favorite apples is also self-fertile. Also known as Yellow Delicious.
This tree is round, spreading, precocious, and productive. It is self-fertile, but cropping will be improved if a pollinizer is present. It is susceptible to all major apple diseases, and should be pruned regularly to maintain annual production. Golden Delicious is also subject to necrotic leaf blotch, which can be ameliorated with a zinc-containing fungicide. It is a good pollinizer, but it is incompatible with Braeburn, Fuji, Jonagold, and Gala.
Ripening mid-season, this apple is crisp and juicy with a honeyed and spicy flavor. A properly tree-ripened Golden Delicious tends to be far superior to one sold in supermarkets, as this variety is often harvested prematurely to improve commercial viability. Golden Delicious is an outstanding dessert apple that also bakes and stores well.
This tree began its life as a chance seedling found on the farm Anderson Mullins in West Virginia in 1912. It was promoted by Stark Brothers, who began selling the trees in 1916. Since then, Golden Delicious has enjoyed over 100 years of popularity. In 1995, it was named the state apple of West Virginia, and in 2013, it was even commemorated on a stamp issued by the USPS! Golden Delicious has been used as a breeding parent for many other popular varieties, including Gala, Pink Lady, Elstar, Mutsu, and Ginger Gold.
The Fruit
Fruit Type
Fruit Uses & Storage
Uses: fresh eating, baking, storage
Storage duration: three plus months (approximate, depending on storage conditions)
Fruit Appearance
Skin color: yellow
Flesh color: white
Fruit Origins
Parentage: chance seedling, possibly from Grime's Golden
Origin: West Virginia
Introduced in: 1916
Introduced by: Anderson Mullins
The Environment
Calendar & Geography
USDA zones: 5 - 9
Chill hours: 700
Ripening date: Sep 08 (approximate, in New York State) 7 days before McIntosh
Tree Height & Spacing
glossary
Rootstock: G.935 Rootstock
Rootstock size class: Semi-Dwarf (40% of Standard)
Tree spacing (natural spread of tree): 12'
Good for wildlife planting? N
Diseases & Pests
glossary
Bitter Rot: Susceptible
Fireblight: Susceptible
Apple Scab: Susceptible
Cedar-Apple Rust: Susceptible
Powdery Mildew: Susceptible
Pollination
Pollination Factors
glossary
Bloom group: 4
Is it self-fertile? N
Is it fertile? Y
Ploidy: Diploid
Rootstock size class:
Semi-Dwarf (40% of Standard)
Pollination Partners
This table shows the first few results from a full search for pollenizers of Golden Delicious Apple on G.935. Please see our Pollenizer Search to run other queries and read how the application uses various factors. Also read more about fruit tree pollination.
See all pollination matches for Golden Delicious Apple on G.935
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