Description and characteristics of the Golden apple tree, planting and care instructions

Golden apples are extremely popular among consumers worldwide. This delicious, sweet, and crunchy fruit is a source of vitamins and nutrients for the human body.

The ease of care and long shelf life of ripe fruits allow them to be grown not only in private gardens, but also in industrial quantities.

History of selection

The Golden apple variety has an unusual origin story, as it was bred completely by accident.

The first mentions of "Mullins's Yellow Sapling" date back to the early 20th century. Several apple varieties grew on the land of a farmer named Mullins in Southern Virginia. The trees cross-pollinated, resulting in an entirely new fruit crop. The farmer subsequently sold his plot of apple trees to professional growers, who then spread the new Golden variety throughout the world.

Subspecies and variants

The Golden apple variety is so popular that many varieties have been created based on it, which are grown in orchards and gardens all over the world.

Delicious

The Golden Delicious variety is a high-yielding hybrid apple tree. Commercially, it yields up to 30 tons of fruit per hectare. Its excellent flavor and long-term storage properties have made it popular among gardeners and farmers.

Vladimirsky

Golden Vladimirsky is resistant to temperature fluctuations and spring frosts. Its early ripening apples make it suitable for growing in regions with short summers. Ripe fruits are golden in color, with some specimens exceeding 200 grams.

Rangers

A frost-hardy variety of Golden apple, most often found in orchards in temperate climates. The fruits are large, yellow-green, and have a rich apple flavor and aroma. They store well and retain their sweetness.

Resistant

The Resistant variety was developed by American breeders. This apple tree is distinguished by its late flowering period and large, orange-hued fruits. The fruit has a rich, sweet flavor with a slight tartness. This variety is recommended for cultivation in warm climates.

Description and characteristics of the Golden apple tree

To produce a large and high-quality fruit harvest, Golden apple trees require the right pollinating neighbors. For this purpose, several seedlings are planted together, or any apple tree varieties that bloom at the same time as Golden apple trees.

Habitat

Apple trees thrive best in southern regions with a mild climate. However, hybrid Golden varieties developed by breeders are grown both in the Moscow region and in northern regions.

Tree size and root system branching

Golden trees reach a maximum height of 3 meters. Young seedlings are cone-shaped, while mature trees, with proper care, develop a spreading, oval-shaped crown.

Depending on the variety, the trunk diameter of the trees ranges from 15 to 30 cm. The bark is dense, gray with a brownish tint.

Important! Golden apple trees quickly become dense, so the plants require annual formative pruning.

The Golden apple tree has a well-branched root system, and seedlings tolerate transplanting and planting in open ground well. However, hybrid varieties have weak roots, and gardeners often grow them on rootstocks.

Leaves, flowers and fruits

The leaf blades are wide, oval-shaped, pointed at the tip, and bright green in color.

The apple tree blooms profusely, with white flowers tinged with pink. During the blooming period, Golden apple trees require pollinators. The best neighbors for a high-quality harvest are the Wagner, Simirenko, or Jonathan apple varieties.

The taste, weight and quality of ripe fruits depend on the care and climatic conditions of the growing region.

The color of ripened fruits ranges from green to bright yellow. If the tree has been exposed to good sunlight throughout the ripening process, the fruits take on a pink hue.

Fruit weight also depends on weather conditions. In southern latitudes, apples ripen larger, while in temperate climates, the fruit size is slightly smaller.

The taste and aroma of the fruit is rich, sweet, with a bright apple aftertaste.

The health benefits of Golden apples have been scientifically and time-tested. The fruit contains a huge amount of vitamins, minerals, and amino acids that strengthen the immune system and help fight many diseases.

Productivity and annual growth

Seedlings begin to bear fruit in the 2nd-3rd year of growth.

Experienced gardeners and vegetable growers harvest over 100 kg of ripe, juicy fruit from a single tree. The Golden apple variety is considered a high-yielding variety. Commercially grown orchards yield up to 30-35 tons of fruit per hectare.

Trees of this variety grow slowly, so the annual plant growth rarely exceeds 5 cm per season.

Immunity to diseases and pests

Golden apple trees and their varieties lack robust immunity to diseases and pests. Powdery mildew and scab are the main threats to the trees. To prevent infection, the trees are sprayed with special preparations annually in the spring.

Frost resistance

The Golden apple tree does not tolerate harsh, snowy winters, so it is grown in southern latitudes with warm, mild winters. However, hybrid varieties of this variety easily survive winters in temperate climates and even in northern regions. In these cases, the trees require additional insulation for overwintering.

Landing

The main goal of gardeners and farmers is to produce a large, high-quality fruit harvest. To achieve this, they need to know the proper agricultural practices for growing Golden apple trees. The most important condition for growing healthy trees is proper planting of seedlings.

Choosing a location

For planting Golden seedlings, choose well-lit, southern-facing areas of the garden. The plant isn't picky about soil composition, but it thrives in light and turfy soils.

Important! If groundwater levels in your garden are close to the soil surface, there is a risk of fungal diseases and root rot.

Deadlines

Golden apple tree seedlings are planted outdoors in spring or fall. Since the plant is heat-loving, planting should be done in anticipation of no frosts or sudden changes in daytime temperatures.

Preparing the site and seedlings

When purchasing and planting seedlings, special attention is paid to the appearance of the planting material and the preparation of the site for planting.

1. Integrity and hydration of the root system.
2. Any growths and damage to the roots are excluded when selecting planting material.
3. The trunk of the tree is straight, smooth, without obvious damage or pest or disease infestation.
4. Before planting in open ground, plants are placed in a container with settled water for 3-4 hours, and then treated with professional disinfectants or a manganese infusion.
5. Humus and mineral fertilizer are added to the dug holes. Clay and heavy soil are mixed with a small amount of river sand.

Technology of planting crops

The seedlings are placed in holes 5 to 70 cm deep, the rhizomes are carefully arranged, and covered with soil. The planted plants are watered, and the soil is mulched with sawdust mixed with peat.

Trees are planted at a distance of 2 to 3 meters from each other, leaving a passage of up to 3 m between rows.

Important! After planting, the tree's root collar remains 4-6 cm above the soil surface.

How to care for a tree

Golden apple trees, after proper planting procedures, do not require complex and careful care.

But to get a large fruit harvest, trees need periodic watering, fertilizing, and pest control.

Watering and loosening

Too frequent watering and excess soil moisture will lead to the development of apple tree diseases. Watering should be done in conjunction with loosening the soil and removing weeds from under the trees.

Between 10 and 15 liters of water are poured under each tree. Watering is done as needed, as soon as the soil dries out.

Top dressing

Growing apple trees on black soil does not require additional fertilizers or feeding.

In other cases, fertilizers containing nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium are applied in the spring. In the fall, the soil is mixed with organic fertilizers.

Caring for the tree trunk circle

Mulching the tree's trunk area is done during planting and during the tree's winter dormancy period. Sawdust, dry leaves, pine needles, and peat are used for mulch.

Such measures protect the plant roots from freezing and enrich the soil with useful substances.

Trimming

Formative pruning is performed annually in early spring. The tree's side shoots are trimmed, and the main trunk is shortened. Five to six branches with buds are left on each tier.

Sanitary inspections are carried out in spring and autumn. pruning apple treesBroken, frozen and damaged branches are removed.

Protection from insects and diseases

In spring, before the beginning of the growing season, preventive measures are taken to protect fruit trees from pests and diseases.

Spraying is carried out with special professional preparations or copper sulfate.

Preparing the apple tree for frost

Golden apple trees are heat-loving trees and therefore require additional insulation during the winter. The root system is insulated with spruce branches, dry leaves, or straw. The trunk is wrapped in special fiber or burlap, and to prevent damage to the bark by animals or rodents, it is covered with metal mesh.

Tips and recommendations from gardeners

Irina Petrovna, 36 years old. Krasnodar region.

We've been growing Golden apple trees for 10 years now. They're excellent for both flavor and shelf life. However, be sure to thin out the buds, otherwise the fruit becomes smaller and less flavorful.

Egor Pavlovich, 40 years old. Belgorod.

I have five Golden apple trees in my garden, growing in fertile, black soil. They overwinter well; so far, not a single tree has failed. However, yields plummet if there's insufficient watering or insufficient light. Even with good yields, the fruits somehow become small and lose their flavor. I don't think this variety does well in our climate.

Kirill Nikolaevich, 51 years old. Pyatigorsk

We've been growing Golden apple trees in our garden for almost 20 lei. They're an excellent variety, with high yields and sweet, crisp fruits. The only drawback, in my opinion, is that they don't produce a high yield every year.