Golden Delicious: the pros and cons of apple varieties

Each fruit is good in its own way, and the category "apples" is no exception. Some people prefer summer varieties, others prefer winter ones. And someone is delighted with the late autumn, the list of which also includes the Golden Delicious apple tree. This unique variety, the description of which will be given in all details below, is worth knowing about it. Therefore, this material will be very useful both for experts in the field of gardening and for true lovers of delicious and juicy apples.

Description

The Golden Delicious apple tree (also called Golden Excellent) belongs to the American varieties of late autumn, or even winter ripening period. Interestingly, it did not appear at all as it should be for this kind of popular varieties that exist today. Golden Delicious is considered a variety of unknown origin, as its seedling was discovered completely randomly in 1890 in South Virginia. After that, he received recognition all over the world, and most in the southern countries of the CIS, in the south of Russia and on the territory of the Ukrainian Steppe and Forest-steppe, and today it can flaunt in many amateur and industrial gardens. The high level of popularity of this apple tree is also evidenced by the fact that for about 25 years it was the main one among all the others in European apple orchards. Further - more specific characteristics.

The tree belongs to the category of medium-sized. It should also be said that Golden Delicious trees begin the fruiting process in the second or third year after budding on weak rootstocks. As for the type of fruiting of the Golden Delicious apple tree, it is mixed. At the initial stages, it is usually regular, and then it all depends on the weather conditions and methods of gardening. At the same time, you should be aware that garlands of fruits can form on two-year increments, as well as on those that remained from last year. This is due to the fact that 3 or even 4 apples can be preserved on each ringlet.

The crown of young trees is cone-shaped, while in fruit-bearing trees it is characterized by a wide-round shape, dense branching and the fact that it is well leafy.

The leaves of this apple tree are broadly oval, with a rounded base together with a slightly elongated tip. They also boast complexity. The color of the leaves is usually bright green, and they are also characterized by a shiny and smooth surface. As for the edges of the leaves, they are most often weakly wavy and double-toothed. The degree of pubescence is weak. The leaf blade differs in that it forms a rather acute angle with the stem. The Delicious leaf is also characterized by the fact that it is strongly wrinkled, has broad-lanceolate stipules and a thick petiole. The top of the annual has shortened internodes, as well as leaves with wavy edges and folded into a wide tray.

The petiole is quite long in this variety, and the stipules are medium-sized, they are also lanceolate. The stem of the annual in the nursery has a light brown color with a slight yellow tinge, and a large number of rounded and large strokes or lentils are clearly visible on it. Shoots are characterized by medium thickness and curvature. In addition, they are weakly genital, slightly pubescent, differ in light brown color (sometimes a certain greenish tint can be seen), and also have lenticels - oval, very large and densely scattered.

As for the description of the fruits, first of all, it is necessary to say about their size. So, apples can differ in both medium size and large (for example, in the Kuban, their weight can reach 170 g). The shape of the apples is rounded-conical, moreover, they are chiseled and have a dense, dry skin. And if the growing conditions are quite favorable, then the skin automatically becomes a little rough, golden light green in color, which later becomes more yellowish.

Delicious's calyx, like most other varieties, is closed, but has gaps near the base of the sepals - half twisted and long. Near the same base, small tubercles in the form of rays are also visible. The peduncles, which are located near the central fruits, are of medium thickness, while near the lateral ones they are thinner, but, nevertheless, often protrude beyond the funnel, which is quite deep. Speaking of the saucer, it must be said that it is narrow, not very deep and even. Quite long and having an inverse-conical shape is the subasculum tube. The axial cavity does not differ in significant size, moreover, it does not communicate with the seed chambers at all, or it communicates, but with the help of a very narrow gap.

The pulp of this apple tree is a little greenish, but this does not prevent it from being very juicy, sweet and dense. After a certain period of storage, it tends to become creamy or even light yellow, as well as even more delicate and spicy, acquire a delicious dessert taste.

The end of the first autumn month, that is, September, is considered to be the usual time for picking apples. Fruits are stored, as a rule, until the height of spring (late March - April), but they can significantly wither in rooms that do not have a sufficient level of humidity. At the same time, they practically do not lose their juiciness. Growers should also be aware that the density of the Golden Delicious apples, as well as their ability to retain all qualities, will be significantly better if they were grown in a tinned orchard. And for the successful formation of the tree, high-quality and careful pruning, as well as the implementation of the process of thinning the fruit, is required.

The peculiarity of this variety is also that it is self-fertile. This means that a necessary condition for the continuation of the Golden Delicious genus is the presence of pollinators. Practice has shown that the best of them are: Jonathan, Wagner Prize, Kuban and Delicious Spur.

Advantages and disadvantages

This variety has a specific set of strengths and weaknesses. So, the obvious advantages of this apple tree are:

1. Sufficient level of frost resistance;
2. High level of productivity;
3. Early maturity;
4. High level of productivity;
5. The quality of apples is at the level of world standards.

Also, on the positive side, Delicious can be characterized by the fact that in breeding it is often used as a donor of productivity, early maturity, resistance to scab of the polygenic type, dessert characteristics of other apples. As for the world practice in the field of gardening, Golden Delicious was able to provide more than one variety of hybrid origin (Freiberg, Korey, Priam, etc.).

As part of the description of the advantages of this variety, mention should also be made of their chemical composition. So, in one apple there are dry substances (14-20.5%), sugar (10-13.8%), titratable acids (0.4%), ascorbic acid (5-12 mg per 100 g), P- active substances (about 100 mg), pectins (0.7 mg per 100 g dry weight).

As for the shortcomings, these are the following points:

• The ability of fruits to wilt during storage;
• The tendency to be affected by powdery mildew;
• Due to the overloading of the crop, the fruits may shrink;
• Propensity to bear fruit of the periodic type;
• Due to the use of preparations containing copper, the skin may acquire a rusty appearance.

All of the above does not make the following conclusion surprising: the Golden Delicious apple variety was able to achieve such a high level of popularity in gardens around the world, not only because of its beautiful appearance (we are talking about both the tree and its fruits), but, of course, due to its unsurpassed taste.

Video "Apple variety Golden Vladimirsky"

The video demonstrates an apple tree of the Golden Vladimirsky variety - a derivative of the Golden Delicious variety; the characteristics of the tree and fruits are given.