That’s a darn shame. So many of these chemicals are getting harder and harder to find. I had a horrible time finding one fruit tree spray I normally use.
I ended up going to the small hardware stores in a 15 mile area to find the things I needed. It was a lot of driving around. Usually these stores just had it sitting on the shelves and I am not sure if the employees even knew it was there. So many of these stores rely on " computer inventory" lists of what they have and do not have.
Here’s a thought…since Goldrush’s only real weakness appears to be CAR, what if you multi-graft a GR with a few varieties with excellent CAR resistance? If 2/3rds of a tree has shiny clean leaves, will that create enough photosynthesis to allow the GR apples to fully develop despite the CAR on its leaves?
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@PaulieAppleseed I grafted 1/2 a Goldrush tree to Franklin Cider 2 years ago, thinking same thing. Or if I really like FC, convert the whole tree. I sprayed the GR 1/2 of this tree for CAR this Spring so maybe test it next year.
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Goldrush is a weak variety, meaning something like Jonagold or other triploid will push it out and dominate. My goldrush tree is the only apple tree I have that has no other varieties on it. If you share a goldrush tree with something else, make sure that it, too is a “gentle” grower or it will be crowded out.
John S
PDX OR
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It is a precocious variety due to a tendency to heavy spurring, which reduces its vigor. It is easy to manage with more vigorous growers if you graft it as a top tier on any vigorous tree. Just graft it to a watersprout positioned to replace the leader and turn the top tier of a central leader tree into Goldrush.
I have two tier trees in my nursery with Goldrush on top of N.Spy and Jonagold. These trees are easier to manage than any tree entirely of vigorous wood. The top tier always has a tendency to dominate otherwise. This also vastly accelerates bearing… of both varieties, I think.
I start my bottom tier about 4.5’ above the ground and the second 4’ above that so I can baffle the trees from coons and squirrels if needed. It also makes mowing much easier if first branches are this high and vastly reduces deer problems.
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That is not my experience.
John S
PDX OR
What is not your experience? What rootstock are you talking about? Mine are on 111 but I have grown it on 7. It is practically the signature variety in my nursery and it is a strong and relatively easy to manage tree. .
Well I tried my first Goldrush at a local u-pick and I have to say, it was just an average apple to my tastebuds, I was kind of disappointed with how much I hear people raving about it. I know it can vary year to year and prob week to week. I bought a good amount to store in my fridge to try months down the road. To me (and I know taste is majorly subjective), Goldrush did not have any complexity to its taste like I’ve read…it was just a solid apple.
Interestingly, I tried a Stayman the same day and it was maybe the best apple I’ve had all year. Then I tried a couple more down the row and they were disgusting hahaha! Maybe it’s impossible to pass judgment on any apple, you just celebrate the ones you bite into that are amazing 
Looking into Stayman now…
I had quite a few set at my old house. I did not pay any attention to them and they look the nicest of any of the apples that fruited this year. Plum curculio tends to severely disfigure unprotected apples there, so Id say it displays some valuable resistance.
Was considering grafting it myself based on those reviews, but to your point I think they ripen a little later. From my understanding it’s one of the last to ripen in areas that have enough time for it.
In southern middle TN… Goldrush got CAR worse than any apple tree I have had.
In year 2 and 4 it got Fire Blight.
It is a goner. Another victim of FB here.
I did like how eager it was to fruit… it tried… but I never got one to ripen… before FB wiped it out.
If you are up north or out west… it might be ideal… if you are in the hot humid south east… try something else.
TNHunter
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GoldRush in central AL. I have had a mix of good and not so good tasting apples. CAR is bad unless sprayed. As of now I don’t recall any FB. Pink Lady does well at my location and I’m considering grafting the GoldRush over to Pink Lady and Sundowner. These two get a little CAR but the tree seems okay. Pink Lady is high on my list for a very good tasting apple.
Along with Goldrush it is my favorite late winter apple when I’m eating them raw. Unlike Goldrush, it more-or-less sustains its acid sugar balance instead of leaning towards sugar as it ages. Goldrush holds its crunch but becomes like a very nice old-strain yellow deicious by March.
Pink Lady is also distinctly grower friendly and not excessively biennial for a late ripening apple- unlike it’s sister, Braeburn on both counts. It also does not need the same level of protection from shriveling as GR during long storage- its skin doesn’t let so much water escape.
Some years Pink Lady fails to properly ripen here so I now grow the earlier ripening variety carried by Adams County Nursery. Hopefully it won’t morph back into a later ripening apple. Surprisingly it isn’t ripe yet this year when most things are about 10 days ahead of normal ripening times. My early Goldrush is already harvested.
Even Goldrush does not always reach peak ripeness here, but I’m not sure the early version is as good. The temps during the last 2 or 3 weeks on the tree also affect brix levels. A lot of varieties may benefit from cooler nights, for one thing. If a Goldrush doesn’t reach at least 18 brix, it is not an ideal example.
I wish members would purchase cheap refractometers to help them communicate their dissatisfaction with given varieties of apples. When someone just states that they don’t like the taste of Goldrush off their trees I’d like to know if it was a good Goldrush and that they don’t like the acid to sugar ratio of if it was just a poor example of the apple without high brix.
I’ve had customers that don’t consider ripe Goldrush worth harvesting off the tree but declare them the best apple they’ve ever tasted when I give them a few in March. Some people want sweet, and southerners tend to lean towards that culturally, IMO. That is people all over the world whose cultures were formed in warmer climates. Warm climate fruits tend to be sweeter than cold climate ones.
Of course generalizations do not hold true for all. Personally, I enjoy both tart and sweet apples as do many of the lovers of fruit on this forum. I seem to enjoy the sweets more when temps are warm though.
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I like a slightly more tart apple, but I like all kinds of variations of sweet/tart. I had an Akane apple from my own yard this year and it was incredible. I’ve had Jonathan apples in Indiana that were maybe the best apples I’ve ever eaten.
All-in-all, I was just trying to say Goldrush was average to me that day. I’ll see how it is out of my fridge in March. For me, with big CAR pressure and my desire to not spray, Goldrush won’t be worth growing. Thankfully there’s options for everyone’s climates and preferences. I’m just seeking out what my best options are and sharing my thoughts on this forum in case it aids anyone else in SW VA.
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Same for me. Both taste good to me.
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When we have the right season, Jonathon is an outstanding apple here as well. If we get too much grey weather with rain during the 3 weeks of its final ripening it isn’t so great. It took me years to fully realize the importance of this factor in my own orchard. There were no forums like this when I was getting my original fruit growers education to speed the process. However, even 30 years ago I listened to commercial growers who told me their apples were better during drought years, but they didn’t have a sense of how long a dry spell was required and when to most improve the quality of their crops.
Evaluations in the west where rain tends to be scarce and early fall is usually constantly sunny are probably more accurate if the taster doesn’t take the weather picture into account.
Not every one seeks accuracy and mostly get their pleasure from sharing their experiences without a lot of analysis. I seek as much clarity as possible as I’m sure many other members do. Just as I’m pretty sure some find my tendency to be a PIA.
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Be sure to check seed color for ripeness. Am guessing it’s not ripe yet.
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What do you all spray and when do you spray it for CAR (Cedar Apple Rust)?
Thanks