Malus domestica ‘golden delicious’ / Fruiting Apple Tree

Experience the delicious rewards of Malus domestica ‘Golden Delicious’, the beloved Golden Delicious Apple that brings exceptional flavour, reliable cropping, and timeless orchard charm with its sweet, golden-yellow fruit. This outstanding dessert apple offers remarkable qualities—beautiful golden-yellow apples with smooth skin and occasional russeting that ripen in October, offering sweet, crisp, aromatic flesh with honey-like flavour perfect for fresh eating, cooking, and juicing, reliable and heavy cropping with excellent productivity that provides abundant harvests year after year, beautiful spring blossom with fragrant white flowers tinged pink that create romantic displays and provide valuable nectar for pollinators, and compact manageable size on modern rootstocks making this perfect for small gardens, orchards, and even large containers, making this one of the finest and most popular eating apples for creating productive beauty, delicious homegrown fruit, and traditional orchard character.

Throughout spring (April-May), this captivating tree becomes adorned with masses of beautiful fragrant flowers measuring 3-4cm across with five petals in white with a delicate pink tinge, creating romantic spring displays that fill the garden with sweet perfume and attract bees and beneficial insects. The flowers are held in clusters along the branches, creating abundant blossom. After successful pollination, the flowers develop into the tree’s crowning glory—beautiful golden-yellow apples that ripen in October. Each apple is medium to large (6-8cm diameter) with smooth golden-yellow skin that may develop some russeting, particularly around the stem, and occasional light freckling. The flesh is crisp, juicy, and sweet with aromatic honey-like flavour and creamy-white colour—absolutely delicious eaten fresh from the tree. The apples store exceptionally well, often improving in flavour after a few weeks in storage, and are also excellent for cooking, baking, and juicing. The mid-green oval leaves create attractive summer foliage, and the rounded, spreading habit creates classic apple tree form.

This legendary cultivar originated as a chance seedling discovered in West Virginia, USA, in the 1890s and has become one of the most widely grown and beloved apples worldwide. Hardy and adaptable, this apple thrives in British conditions when planted in full sun and sheltered positions, performing particularly well in our cool, moist climate. ‘Golden Delicious’ is partially self-fertile but produces much heavier crops when cross-pollinated with another apple variety in flowering group 3 or 4 (such as ‘Cox’s Orange Pippin’, ‘James Grieve’, ‘Bramley’s Seedling’, or most crab apples). An excellent pollinator for other apple varieties. The compact size on modern rootstocks (typically M26 or MM106) makes this suitable for small gardens whilst still providing generous harvests.

Create productive compositions by planting in kitchen gardens, orchards, or sunny borders where the spring blossom and autumn fruit can be enjoyed. Exceptional as specimen trees in lawns, trained as espaliers or cordons against sunny walls or fences to save space and create architectural interest, or planted in rows for traditional orchard plantings. Works beautifully in cottage gardens, productive landscapes, or contemporary edible gardens. Plant with compatible pollinators nearby (within 15m) for best fruit set. Perfect for family gardens where homegrown apples, spring blossom, and productive beauty are desired.

Planting: Space trees 3-4m apart for bush forms, or 2-3m for cordons/espaliers, depending on rootstock vigour. Plant bare-root trees from November to March (ideal), or container-grown specimens year-round. Dig holes twice the width of the root ball and incorporate well-rotted compost or manure. Plant at the same depth as the nursery soil mark—ensure the graft union remains above soil level. Stake securely for the first 3-5 years. Water thoroughly and mulch around the base, keeping mulch away from the trunk. Choose positions in full sun (essential for fruit ripening and sweetness) with shelter from harsh winds and late spring frosts. Plant compatible pollinators nearby for best cropping.

Soil Preparation: Thrives in moist, well-drained, fertile soil with pH 6.0-6.5. Prefers slightly acidic to neutral, deep, moisture-retentive conditions enriched with generous amounts of well-rotted organic matter or compost. Dislikes waterlogged, very dry, shallow, or strongly alkaline/chalky soils. Requires excellent drainage whilst maintaining consistent moisture—apples need regular water during fruit development. Best fruiting occurs in full sun with shelter from harsh winds, fertile soil, and consistent moisture throughout the growing season.

Container Growing: Can be grown successfully in large containers (minimum 50-60cm diameter) using soil-based compost (John Innes No. 3), making this suitable for patios, balconies, and small gardens. Choose trees on dwarfing rootstocks (M26 or M9) for containers. Water regularly and consistently—never allow to dry out during flowering and fruit development. Feed in spring with slow-release balanced fertiliser and again in summer with high-potash feed. Repot every 2-3 years in late winter. Protect containers from hard frost. Container-grown trees remain more compact and require a compatible pollinator nearby.

Seasonal Care: Requires regular pruning to maintain shape, encourage fruiting, and ensure good air circulation. Prune bush forms in winter (December-February) when dormant—remove dead, damaged, or crossing branches, thin congested growth, and maintain open goblet shape. Prune trained forms (espaliers/cordons) in summer (August) using modified Lorette system. Thin fruits in June (after June drop) to one or two per cluster, spacing 10-15cm apart for larger, better-quality apples. Apply balanced fertiliser in early spring and mulch with well-rotted compost. Water during dry spells, especially during flowering and fruit development. Harvest in October when apples part easily from the tree with a gentle twist. Store in cool, dark, well-ventilated conditions. Watch for common pests (aphids, codling moth, sawfly) and diseases (scab, mildew, canker)—good hygiene and air circulation help prevent problems.

Propagation: Cannot be grown true from seed—seedlings will not produce fruit identical to the parent and may take many years to fruit. Professional propagation is by grafting or budding onto specific rootstocks (M9, M26, MM106, etc.) that control tree size and vigour. Grafting is done in winter, budding in summer. Home gardeners should purchase nursery-grown grafted trees on appropriate rootstocks for guaranteed fruit quality, controlled size, and earlier fruiting (typically 2-4 years after planting).

This delicious beauty is absolutely wonderful—those sweet, crisp, golden-yellow apples with honey-like flavour are perfect for fresh eating and store brilliantly! Reliable heavy cropping, beautiful fragrant spring blossom, and that classic orchard charm. Partially self-fertile but crops much better with a pollinator nearby. Compact size suits small gardens, and can even be grown in containers. The joy of picking your own homegrown apples—pure satisfaction and delicious rewards!