Do I have Goldrush apples or just another good yellow apple? My concerns are mostly centered around the early ripening date vs the dates sellers suggest is the normal time to ripen (October). The apples are about medium size, have dark seed, and sweet with a hint of tartness. Surely the extra sun hours and heat from my area (7B) would not cause this difference in expected ripening date. Any thought on this are welcome. Thanks, Bill
Photos?
There’s a commercial grower in Tallapoosa Georgia (7b, but probably a little cooler than you) who grows Goldrush. Haven’t seen any at the local farmers’ market. I bought a lot from him late last September or early October, some of which were great and some which needed to hang on the tree a little longer. So I doubt you do, but I think it is possible. Photos would help.
I think your right.
I’ve got a Goldrush in the ground that’s yet to fruit. Hopefully next year it will, and we can compare ripening dates.
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Looks like my under ripe Goldrush. My ripe Goldrush will have a different color than that. A right off the tree Goldrush would have a pretty good tart taste to it. It only sugars up after a little time in the fridge or storage. I Live on Cape Cod so it could be different environment affecting the way it grows.
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Looks green in the picture. If it’s a goldrush, and it’s green, it’s not ripe. Should be… gold. Sweet with a hint of tartness doesn’t sound like an underripe goldrush, either.
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I taste tested another one of the apples last night and it was heavy on the sour side with a little sweet mixed in which is more in line with the Goldrush descriptions. After seeing all the good reviews for this apple I was hoping I had the real deal. Bill
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Bill, that doesn’t look at all like a typical Goldrush to me. Is that shape and color representative of most of the apples? All of mine and all of those I’ve seen get a good deal of reddish orange blush anywhere the sun hits them. Also, GR is more of a taller apple in comparison with it’s width with a somewhat pronounced taper toward the calyx. The shape is developed very early and the blushing also is evident pretty early on.
Obviously there is some deviation from the median shape on a few apples, and those not exposed to sunlight at all may not develop the blushing, but nearly all of them look nearly identical on my tree.
To be harvesting in early August sounds too early to me also. I always follow your posts and I know you are way ahead of me, but early August just sounds too early to me. My ripening date here is November 15.
Also, as someone else mentioned, your apple is distinctly green, Goldrush should have a more gold hue to the base color. Mine have had the gold hue for some time now, so for sure, your’s should as well.
Again, if the apple in your photo is reasonably representative of the median average, then I’d be willing to bet heavily that what you have is not Goldrush.
This is a photo I grabbed online. It is pretty much what mine look like, though mine haven’t yet developed quite as much gold hue as pictured, mine do have a bit more blush already. Somewhere on here is a photo of my GR from last year.
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Apple shape varies with temperature. In warmer climates many apples are more blocky, ie less tall stem to calyx compared to width.
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It’s not just the shape though, it’s the evidence as a whole. The color, lack of blush, and ripening time as well. Again, while the shape may vary (and as you say, vary in different climates) that is a marked deviation. I would expect Bill’s to have the gold hue now as well as the blush…and in his climate. if anything moreso.
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I agree it’s very likely something else. Way to early ripening and even my GR aren’t that squat shaped.
It looks like my Ginger Gold. They just finished here so season is right. GG here does ripen by turning from green to yellow but not uniformly all at once. I don’t see that on apple in question.
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I planted this GR on Jelleyman’s reccomendation several years ago. It’s been a terrific tree for me. I’ve taste tested the ones the deer have knocked off and they are still sour with a tiny bit of sweetness. I live on La/Ar stateline, our climate this summer has been hot and dry.
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Ah…so here we have a GR from the area. Fruitnut made a very good point on the shape variance of apples in different climates. Apples (not all) are often taller in regards to width in cooler climates. IMO the cooler climate versions are prettier as they develop nice crowns, if the variety calls for them that is.
justjohn’s photo clearly shows (to me anyway) this deviation in shape…just slightly more squat and with a bit less taper toward the calyx as would be expected with the reduction in relative height.
One other thing John’s photo reminded me of, that I completely forgot about, is the pronounced lenticels on the apple. Mine have these also of course, and even now (very early yet) they are very noticeable. Bill’s apple shows no sign whatsoever of lenticels at all, at least that is, in the photo provided.
I have no idea what apple Bill has, and I’m handicapped a bit due to being from such a vastly different region. When I first saw it, it looked like a shaded Summer Rambo to me. I leap to that, because they are common as dirt around here, but then I realized they would have been done long ago in Alabama. Also, it’s shape goes the opposite way, as Rambos are even more squat than the apple pictured…even here.
Like this thread.
Any more photos Bill, side profile maybe? Also Bill, in your photo, is that bloom on the apple, or spray residue? Fruitnut’s suggestion of Ginger Gold sounds good if it is bloom, but wiki says GG ripening time is August on the east coast, mid July in North Carolina, and July in California.
It seems to match the Ginger Gold better than the Goldrush. Either is ok with me. Thanks, Bill
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I only had a few apples and they are all gone now so I can’t take any other pictures. Thanks, Bill
bummer
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Birds started pecking at my apples and I might have just picked too early. Bill
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