Anyone on here that has experience with growing Goldrush apples in Utah, along the Wasatch front. I’m hesitant to plant them due to being a late ripener. I would be planting them in full sun near pavement with reflective heat which is likely an advantageous microclimate. The USU website says it ripens in Utah late September to early October, however I called and spoke to one of their horticulturist who said he thinks that was a print error.
I’m in a similar climate north of you near Sun Valley. I grafted Goldrush on an existing tree last spring and it set a few apples this year. I thinned all but one - I’ll let you know how/if it ripens this fall.
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Alan, who grows it a lot, says it’s not totally reliable where he is in southern NY so you can maybe compare your growing days with his. You can always plant something and graft on some other varieties (or just plant multiple trees).
I really had my heart set on goldrush so I have grafted and planted some. However, I was told by a local that I might not get complete crops because it’s so late. So I got some other similar apples too.
I ended up getting the Early Goldrush from the thread I pasted below. I also got Sundance and Barnsby Pink Lady/Cripps Pink. They all have a similar profile of sweet tart and dense flesh. I’ve also heard crunch-a-bunch is a goldrush-like apple that is earlier.
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Another possible alternative to look at if you don’t have a long enough growing season for goldrush might be its offspring Rubyrush.
RubyRush I believe is supposed to be about a month earlier ripening -Oct compared to early Nov for GR in VA-
and from the tastes I have had of it (as grown in central VA -so very different climate and I dont know if this will translate to your climate or not) but RR shares some things in common with GR (ie the general texture, and at least close to as good of keeping ability -shrivels less but might rot after 3-4 months at room tempuratures for me compared to 5+ months for GR) and also shares some of the flavor profile -though RR has more floral qualities and slightly less tartness more reminiscent of its other parent, and it has a little less of the golden delicious ancestors’ “anise/spice” flavor in exchange for that.
-RR also cooks up to a much more interesting and complex flavor than its goldrush parent in my limited experience (I dont find GR interesting cooked unless you care about having a crunchy baked apple, but RR has some interesting things going on after cooking and I would reach for it over its parent in that context. )
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Consider the sun scalding risk. GDs scorch easily. I would look into it since the GD is a parent.
The GR flesh is stringy and quite disgusting when cooked. Haven’t tried baking with it.
The GR does not flavor up later if picked unripe. Allen mentioned this and I experienced it firsthand.