Garden Delicious Apple Dwarf

[mystang89]

Hi everyone, I'm new to the website.
I can't grow a thing to save my life. I have a black thumb. I need advice about buying an apple tree. I live in Kentucky just so you know what the climate is like.
I live in a suburban area with not too much land. I was thinking about buying a Garden Delicious Apple Dwarf tree since they don't become as large as the other Apple trees and from doing a bit of research they don't technically need another apple tree for cross-pollination.
When would be the best time to plant the Apple tree? I was told that now was a great time to plant them.
Do I really need another apple tree for cross-pollination or will it be ok with just one?
I also raise rabbits and so have access to some good fertilizer but read somewhere that rabbit droppings were too rich for apple trees and not to use them. Is this true?
Any and all help is truly appreciated.

[ElizabethB]

I really wanted to give you a link but my service is screwed up. Kentucky State is your land grant university. Lots of free horticulture/agriculture information for you. Fruit trees are very region specific so you really need to get some info from Kentucky State or your local extention office, Unfortunatly not all extention offices are responsive. Wish I could give you more specific info. What does well in south Louisiana will not do well in Kentucky. Fruit trees need certain amounts of chill hours plus there are varieties that are more tolerant or resistant to pest and disease depending on your region.

Sorry for not giving you specific info.

Good luck with your project.

[DoubleDogFarm]

About Garden Delicious Apple Dwarf...
Garden Delicious Apple Dwarf is a delightful tasting apple for small yards or patio growing. This self-fertile greenish-yellow skinned apple will turn an attractive red color in cooler climates and will bear a heavy crop of good quality eating apples in late September. Garden Delicious is a prized dwarf variety apple tree that only grows to a height of 8-10 feet and bears fruit at a young age with a chilling requirement of approximately 600 hours.

Chill Hour Map
https://www.raintreenursery.com/Chill_Hours.html

Eric

[JONA878]

About Garden Delicious Apple Dwarf...
Garden Delicious Apple Dwarf is a delightful tasting apple for small yards or patio growing. This self-fertile greenish-yellow skinned apple will turn an attractive red color in cooler climates and will bear a heavy crop of good quality eating apples in late September. Garden Delicious is a prized dwarf variety apple tree that only grows to a height of 8-10 feet and bears fruit at a young age with a chilling requirement of approximately 600 hours.

Chill Hour Map
https://www.raintreenursery.com/Chill_Hours.html

Eric

I would add a couple of things too.
The 'dwarfing' of the tree will depend on what root stock is on the plant, and this again is governed by the quality of your soil. Good soil and a MM9 stock will dwarf the tree idealy....but if you are on poorer clay type soil then it would have to be slightly stronger like MM26 or 106.
Goldens are very prolific...hence they were the variety chosen to re-plant in huge quantaties across France after the second world war, to set the French Horticultural industry back on its feet.
They are one of those vars that will crop on one year old wood and as such it's very easy to prune.....as we always said...' you can prune it with a hedge cutter'.
Needs heavy thinning to get good regular fruit and the fruit never developes its real deep honey flavour unless it is tree ripened.
We use it a lot in the UK as it is a super polinator and is so easy to look after.
It is very prone to Scab though if you have a warm , damp climate.

Bred by A.H.MUllins. Clay County in 1890. Chance seedling.

[mystang89]

Thanks, I'm not real sure what scab is but that's nothing a quick google search can't take care of. My soil is pretty good as I try to fertilize is every spring.
I honestly don't have a clue what MM9 is or what it means. My plan is to get an Garden Delicious apple dwarf this Saturday. It is suppose to be in the 60's with a 40% chance of rain so I figure the ground will be soft enough to get a good dig in. Plus the rain should sit there water it nicely. It is also supposed to rain for the next few days however the temp is supposed to go into the 40's during the day. If I put about 6 inches of compost or leaves around the tree would that insulate the ground and roots nicely? There is a good deal on the tree atm and it is already producing small apples so I wanted to strike while the iron was hot, so to speak.

[DoubleDogFarm]

Looking at this link, Garden Delicious is a genetic dwarf developed by Zaiger Genetics.

Not 100% sure, but I think it is another test tube baby.

Innovative Technicians
Parent trees for seed and pollen are maintained in movable containers, a Zaiger innovation that allows the Zaigers to accomplish a very large number of crosses each spring. Application of pollen to seed-bearing stock (making a cross) can continue during inclement weather and the technique makes possible a wider range of crosses by advancing or delaying the bloom of parent trees that normally do not bloom at the same time. Test tube embryo culture is employed to grow seedlings of very early-maturing varieties of which the seeds will only germinate in vitro. Indexing on biological indicators and heat treatment are employed to detect and eliminate virus.

https://www.davewilson.com/z_file/zaiger_varieties.html

Eric

[applestar]

I recommend researching before buying. A good deal on initial price pales when considered against subsequent care needed to maintain disease prone or regionally/climatically unsuitable fruit trees.

I always say get varieties with excellent resistance to locally prevalent diseases. This will make the difference in amount of time, effort, and money you will be spending to achieve good apple harvest. In extreme north and south of their growing zones, it's critical to get adapted varieties. If growing organically is important to you, this is another reason for getting an easy care variety.

Then consider when the fruits ripen to be harvested, If mature tree size is a serious consideration, you really need to read up on the root stock varieties -- in almost all cases, apple trees are grafted. Same if you have clay soil.

You don't have to worry too much about cross pollination. If you don't want a second apple variety tree, you can plant a suitable crabapple. There may be some in an immediate neighbor's yard already. But once you taste apples harvested from your own tree, I think you will want a second tree of different flavor, use (fresh, apple pie/cake, apple sauce), or harvest period.

Fruit trees are an investment, especially if you have limited space. Better to be informed than to have to buy another one down the line.

[JONA878]

As Star has stated above...there are many things to check on as regards planting something that has the long life span like a tree.
Goldens are very prone to Scab. This is a fungal disease that is very difficult to control and even more so if you are fully organic.
As regards the root stock...I looked up the site on ' Golden Delicious Dwarf '...it does not state the stock used at all. Just states that the tree is expected to grow to around 10- 12ft with carefull pruning.

That would suggest a stock of around the MM106's power.
You say you are on good soil.
I think unless you can swat up on good pruning techniques, you can probably add a few feet to that as once the tree has got its feet in the ground it will surely romp away without good control.

There are much more dwarfing stocks than that. For instance a root stock like MM27 or MM9.

Although these are stocks bred in the UK they are widely used all over the world. The American bred equivalent for MM9 is G11 or G16.

[DoubleDogFarm]

Hi everyone, I'm new to the website.
I can't grow a thing to save my life. I have a black thumb. I need advice about buying an apple tree. I live in Kentucky just so you know what the climate is like.
I live in a suburban area with not too much land. I was thinking about buying a Garden Delicious Apple Dwarf tree since they don't become as large as the other Apple trees and from doing a bit of research they don't technically need another apple tree for cross-pollination.
When would be the best time to plant the Apple tree? I was told that now was a great time to plant them.
Do I really need another apple tree for cross-pollination or will it be ok with just one?
I also raise rabbits and so have access to some good fertilizer but read somewhere that rabbit droppings were too rich for apple trees and not to use them. Is this true?
Any and all help is truly appreciated.

Clarification please. Are we talking "Garden" or "Golden" Delicious??

I read Garden Delicious is a cross between Hawaii and Golden, but I have not found a site to back it up.

Eric

[JONA878]

Heh..Double Dog...that's put the cat amongst the pigeons.
Malus Pumila...Paradise apple...now that would go some way to explain the problem.
It has been used as a parent for growing some of Ballerina type trees and these would indeed be able to keep down to that sort of size.
Their basic problem to date has been that the varieties so far have not been especially good.
Golden Delicious though I believe has been used.
If it is a Ballerina or Columnia though...why can't they just say so.

[mystang89]

Heh..Double Dog...that's put the cat amongst the pigeons.
Malus Pumila...Paradise apple...now that would go some way to explain the problem.
It has been used as a parent for growing some of Ballerina type trees and these would indeed be able to keep down to that sort of size.
Their basic problem to date has been that the varieties so far have not been especially good.
Golden Delicious though I believe has been used.
If it is a Ballerina or Columnia though...why can't they just say so.

I honestly couldn't tell you. I know that when I called the nursery I asked for Garden delicious apple dwarfs. I don't know if they just figured I meant Golden Delicious but on https://www.willisorchards.com/product/G ... MO1rKwss80 they are definitely called Garden Delicious. That's the site I first found out about them.

[applestar]

Have you read this report yet?
https://www.uky.edu/Ag/HLA/masabni/Publi ... ltivar.pdf

I have Pristine and Enterprise which are mentioned in the report, and Arkansas Black (not mentioned in the report).

Pristine doesn't store well but it doesn't matter because they disappear as quickly as they are ripe enough to eat. Misshapen and left-over harvest made yummy applesauce.

Enterprise and Arkansas Black are both late maturing apples and I end up picking a lot of the Enterprise before they are entirely ripe -- letting us enjoy Granny Smith-like green stage all the way to post-tree ripened and storage-refined crisp stage when eaten fresh. Both Enterprise and Arkansas Black have incredible depth of flavor and Enterprise keeps its shape when cooked, making excellent pies and cakes while Arkansas Black falls apart on cooking so probably great for apple sauce (haven't tried yet but we still have a grocery bag full stored in the fridge).

[DoubleDogFarm]

Heh..Double Dog...that's put the cat amongst the pigeons.
Malus Pumila...Paradise apple...now that would go some way to explain the problem.
It has been used as a parent for growing some of Ballerina type trees and these would indeed be able to keep down to that sort of size.
Their basic problem to date has been that the varieties so far have not been especially good.
Golden Delicious though I believe has been used.
If it is a Ballerina or Columnia though...why can't they just say so.

I honestly couldn't tell you. I know that when I called the nursery I asked for Garden delicious apple dwarfs. I don't know if they just figured I meant Golden Delicious but on https://www.willisorchards.com/product/G ... MO1rKwss80 they are definitely called Garden Delicious. That's the site I first found out about them.

Here is a list of Retailers
https://www.davewilson.com:8080/wcd/?p=AP

Eric