Is ‘Giant Golden Delicious’ apple a distinct cultivar, or is just a large ‘Golden Deicious’ ??
i have never heard of it. a side/cautionary note though: GD is an excellent apple, and is in the parentage of many popular apples for a reason.
That said, the current commercial GD is a poor, bastardized version of the apple that once was, the result of relentless selection of sports that were blemish-free (and I would guess perhaps some unmentioned cross-breeding). The point is store-bought GD isnt nearly as flavored as some older versions. To each their own, to be sure, but I’d be more concerned about getting an older variety than an alleged “improved for size” variety, my deep suspicion is its either regular GD being hyped or a sport that also very likely traded taste for a different attribute (size in this case)
4 Likes
If your referring to a store bought one, I think they got you like they got me on giant rainier. They separate out the biggest ones and call it giant for marketing.
I have not seen Golden Delicious at the Supermarket in a long time. They sell something they call Yellow Delicious. It does not taste like the Golden Delicious I ate when I was a kid.
2 Likes
I read that that largest cherries are grown from the base of 1-year-old branches. Cherries from spurs are apparently always smaller. There are some orchards that use mini-dwarf rootstocks to plant trees 1.5-2 feet apart and only fruit from a single branch. They grow 2 or 3 new branches every year and choose the stronger one to bear next year’s fruit.
1 Like
do you know of a source where to get scions of the oldest versions of Golden Delicious?
Some of the popular commercially recognized apples have a lot of genetic drift. Golden Delicious and Gala are both highly variable over time. Parentage and sport varieties have muddied things.
Yellow Delicious and Golden Delicious were, at one time, the same tree - just within and without the patent protections.
Add into the mix that the fruit off a tree when it is 5 years old and the fruit off the same tree when it is 60 may be almost incomparable, with the fruit from the latter more likely to be far more complex.
As others have said above, appearance is often key in the market. This leaves things being harvested too early, at variable points in a storage process that is extremely varied in apples already, and, of course, seizing sorting opportunities that increase point-of-sale perceived values.
I don’t know if GGD is truly distinct or not, I’ve not seen it yet in my stores or the small cross section of scion I’ve encountered. But note that many of the research zones that produce different types are in areas where soil and landscape are controlled in ways most of us won’t, so results may vary anyway.
Best apple I ever had, hands down, was a gala from an orchard along the side of the road somewhere in California. I turned around and went back for more. Martinelli’s juice came so close to that flavor when it took off that it probably is responsible for some of my cavities.
Second best was some variety of early transparent during a visit to Cliff England’s orchards a couple years ago. That visit is likely why apple varieties I’ve never tasted yet are going onto my couple of apple trees so that I can have similar experiences in my own yard year round.
The same apples in the grocery stores are cardboard or styrofoam by comparison.
Lastly, @Fishinjunky Philo Apple Farm grows several trees that sound like they may be the older GDs you are inquiring about. Fruitwood carries scion of several of their varieties.
3 Likes
Look for Mullins, Mullins Seedling or Mullins Yellow Seedling. 39th Parallel usually offers Golden Delicious (Mullins) scion, I don’t know if he still has it available this season.
1 Like
The ‘Giant Golden Delicious’ is being offered for sale on ebay by user mmonicaherteg2012
And as we are trialing all Golden Delicious, Mutants, 1st crosses and Clones, I thought maybe I had missed this one. Here in the UK, Golden Delicious is not well known variety for growing, especiallg in our relatively cold climate.
Have a read of our blog for more information of varieties being included.
If anybody can offer any of the varieties highlighted in ‘white’ that we do not have, it would be greatly appreciated, then please contact us.