Did you mean to place a question mark there?
Golden Russet is not a large apple, at least not what Adams calls GR. or the growers in my region.
Yes, I placed a question mark there because I questioned if it was because of that factor.
My Golden Russet tree was from Schlabach. It has produced large and small russeted apples. It is a partial tip bearer. I have no suspicion that it is not the real deal.
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I’m guessing that sun could be a factor. Have you taken any brix readings? I was just eating one yesterday and the brix was 20, though the texture was gone by this point. Mine produced good sized apples, even though it was under-thinned (not as badly as my Goldrush, but still too many).
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I did not check the brix of it this year. If I find one in the fridge, I will check it. Most of the fruit were full of water. It probably won’t be good representation.
I know your Golden Russet have high brix for you. So far, I have not eaten any Golden Russet that were particularly sweet.
My first (and only) Golden Russet fruit! Picked Oct. 6, ate Oct. 26. Delicious, gently firm, very good flavor. Can’t wait for more. This one was a long time coming - ten years. It was the only graft of a half dozen that year that survived a late May freeze (in a more protected spot). Rootstock is a wild probably crab.
Scion from Fedco who says it is likely the Golden Russet of Western New York. I think it is a beautiful apple. Sue
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Blossoms are beautiful, but the first sign of an apple developing is exciting. The top photo is of an American Golden Russet, so labeled by David Vernon of Century Farms. The second photo is of a Golden Russet on a tree I obtained from Schlabach Nursery. I’ve read (I think on these pages) that it is a Golden Russet of Western New York.
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Is this the first time both have bloomed for you?
Both have bloomed before, but we haven’t had good apples yet from the Golden Russets from Schlabach’s Nursery.
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Do you suppose that would be the same thing as the Bullock sold by Fedco?
This is an article published in the Vermont Watchman and State Journal on Dec. 27, 1882 I found interesting. This is from T. H. Hoskins, Agricultural Editor (Vermont):
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Those are all described as upright growers. Mine is a tip bearer. It is vigorous, pendulous, and has a crazy growth habit.
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This source explains it better than Beach does in Apples of New York. In that book there are entries for Golden Russet (by which is meant the Golden Russet of Western New York), English Russet, and Bullock. American Golden Russet is listed as an alternate name for Bullock. In the English Russet entry there is a comparison of English Russet with Golden Russet. In the Roxbury entry, it is compared with Golden Russet. No direct comparison is made between Bullock and the other russets.
We also grow Bourassa and Hunt Russet, also named in the 1882 article, but they are fairly recent acquisitions, so little for comparison. We used to own Roxburys, but didn’t replace the two trees we had after they died. We thought Roxburys had an ordinary flavor, unlike other russets we grew or had sampled.
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I am with you. I thought the crazy growth habit was because it is on a European Bud 9. An American B 9 has an upright growth, per an article on another thread.
My Golden Russet is likely to be the English Golden Russet. I am quite sure mine is true to label. It is a mix of tip bearer (more) and spur bearer. It is pendulous.
As for the fruit, I have not been impressed. It is fine but not as good as I have heard people praising it. At times, my Hoople’s beat EGR by a lot but Hoople’s is in a shady area. Its fruit’s quality has been uneven.
I have Bullock fruited last year. Not much different from EGR. In fact, I could not tell the difference but it was the first year.
I have Roxbury Russet. It is covered in bloom this year. I hope to compare them taste-wise, side by side.
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I don’t know if I can find the article, but I read in another old newspaper publication that Golden Russet was a name many would use to sell their Russets regardless of what they were. They were just monopolizing on the market familiarity and appeal of the name, which ultimately caused huge discrepancies in the characteristics of the cultivar. Even regionally Golden Russet would be completely different apples.
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I had read that somewhere as well. I read so many books, articles, and nursery items I forget where I actually have read them at.
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They were different enough to me to tell they were not the exact same apple, but they were very close. I’m not the biggest fan of the yellow fleshed Russets, they are great on the sweet and sour but not so much flavor beyond that. Pitmaston Pineapple was my favorite, it has more flavor than the others. They all rot horribly though so all are gone from my orchard now. Just this spring I topworked Pitmaston and Orleans Reinette, the last ones I was trialing. Both rotted like crazy last year. Oh I am still keeping Hunt Russet, it is flavorful and while it rots it is not quite as bad. It’s skin is a bit more the smooth kind, like Pomme Gris (which is also good on the rot front for me).
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As far as I’m concerned there is no confusion. Golden Russet is the variety sold as such by nurseries that provide it for commercial growers. Because it is popular as a cider apple, both hard and sweet, it continues to be widely propagated.
I have purchased trees from two such nurseries and if anyone has purchased something different than what ACN sells as Golden Russet from a big commercial grower of trees for the industry, I will be a bit confused. Until then, I think we might as well forget about English Golden Russet, American Golden Russet and whatever, when most people say Golden Russet it is the variety I’m talking about.
Now, about Ashmead’s Kernel… how come some are completely russet and some are not and have red and yellow coloration?
Are you seeing the variation in ashmeads kemal between trees at the same site?
Isn’t russeting often highly dependant on growing conditions?
They are clearly different, and I have never had a russet do anything but be a russet. Russet Ash is in no way borderline.
Slight russeting of old strain Yellow Delicious is another issue as I would guess it is with any variety that has some russet genes. I suspect YD is a smooth skinned Golden Russet. Along with smoother skin came finer flesh.
Just a guess, of course.
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I think that was the conclusion somewhere higher up on this thread as well, the ones sold today under “Golden Russet” are all the same one.
Re: Ashmeads it is not as complete a russet as other russets. I think it is just environmental conditions that causes the different degrees of russeting. Another one which is inconsistent is Golden Nugget, for me it is always 100% russeted but in cooler climates it seems to have very little russet. Or so it seems. Not until the different looking ones are grafted to the same tree is it 100% clear. My Satsuma plum is much earlier ripening than what the California ones report so I now have a graft from a California Satsuma and am waiting to see how it compares with mine…
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