Over the last few years, purely by accident, we acquired some apple varieties that by description sounded really nice. There proprieties included, sweet, medium crisp, juicy, long storage, these are just a few. We have left out some of the normal preconceptions about the variety, being bland, woolley, dry, tasteless etc etc. But the name is in the title. The GD apples normally bought from supermarkets and town markets, are definitely bland, woolley, dry, tasteless etc. This is because they have been harvested before they are ripe, and in many instances have been stored for 6 months maybe 12 months, before being presented to the consumer for sale.

I had one variety, that I did not know was based on GD, but the taste was unbelievable. Ripe off the tree at there peak, they were very sweet, semi crisp and Juicy. But because there was glut of them they were stored (again at their peak ripeness) in our domestic fridge. Stored and maintained there properties for 4 months, gradually eating them daily.

So I will be trialing different GD based varieties, not just ‘clones’ of GD, also the 1st generation of ‘Crosses’. We will not be trialing 2nd generation crosses. Where we mean 2nd generation, we mean either the male or female GD is the grandmother or grandfather of the variety.

Also where any varieties do not look anything like the classic look of GD, we will not include them (maybe some exceptions though).

So we trawled the resources for known GD clones and 1st generation crosses, and we were astounded, just look at the list below.

VARIETY NAME	MOTHER x FATHER
Akagi	Golden Delicious x Kogyoku
Akita Gold	Golden Delicious x Fuji
Altess® Dalitron P.V.R.	Golden Delicious x Pilot
Ambassy	Golden Delicious x Stark Jongrimes
Angold – Being sourced for 2025	Common Antonovka x Golden Delicious
Anna	Red Hadassiya × Golden Delicious
Appache®	Stark Jongrimes x Golden Delicious
Arlet	Golden Delicious x Idared
Arctic Golden	Golden Delicious genetically engineered to resist browning when exposed to air
Asfari	Elstar x Delcorf Apache (one of only a few 2nd generation GD’s we will grow)
Belchard® Chantecler	Golden Delicious x Reinette Clochard
Belgolden (Goldensheen)	mutant clone of Golden Delicious
Blushing Golden	??
Bel-el	Golden Delicious x Ingrid Marie (Elstar Sport)
Cadel (Cadell)	Red Delicious x Jonathon
Cameo	Red Delicious x Golden Delicious
Champion (Shampion or Sampion)	Golden Delicious x Cox Orange Pippin
Charden	Red Delicious x Reinette Clochard
Cheerful Gold (Nuvar)	Cox’s Orange Pippin x Golden Delicious
Clear Gold	Sport of Golden Delicious
Cloden Syn. Golchard (F)	Golden Delicious × Reinette Clochard
Courtagold (mutation of Golden Delicious)	spur type clone of (sport) Golden Delicious
Criterion	Golden Delicious x Red Delicious
Crowngold (coloured form of Jonagold)	Golden Delicious x Jonathan (Kougyoku)
Dalili, syn. Ambassy (F 1973)	Stark Jonagrimes x Golden Delicious
Delbard Estivale (Delcorf)	Golden Delicious x Stark Jonagrimes
Delblush syn Tentation F (1979/90)	Golden Delicious x Grifer
Delcorf Appache®	Golden Delicious x Stark Jonagrimes
Delgollune syn Delbard Jubilee	Golden Delicious x Lundbytorp
Deljeni	very similar to Golden Delicious
Denar	Golden Delicious x Cox’s Orange Pippin
Domino	Golden Delicious x TE-317
Dorsett Golden	Golden Delicious x Unknown
Doud Golden Delicious	Sport of Golden Delicious
Dukat (Ducat)	Golden Delicious x Cox’s Orange Pippin
Ed Gould Golden	Sport of Golden Delicious
Eikoga	??
Elbee	sport of Golden Delicious
Elstar	Golden Delicious × Ingrid Marie
Falstaff	James Grieve  × Golden Delicious
Firmgold	A chance seedling found growing among some Starkspur Golden Delicious
Freyberg	Golden Delicious x Cox’s Orange Pippin
FUJI KIKU® FUBRAX	Limb mutation of Fuji
Gala Brookfield	Limb mutation of the Royal Gala. Golden Delicious x Kidd’s Orange Red
Gibson Golden Delicious – Golden Delicious (Gibson Cltv.)	Russet-resistant selection of the original Golden Delicious.
Ginger Gold	Golden Delicious x Albemarle Pippin (Newtown Pippin)
Goldcats (Columnar) (D)	Telamon x Golden Delicious
Golden Auvilspur	Sport of Golden Delicious
Golden Delicious Horst No 2	Sport of Golden Delicious
Golden Delicious Klon B “LB”®	Chance seedling, possible ?? x Grimes Golden
Golden Delicious Reinders	Sport of Golden Delicious
Golden Delicious Russet	Mutation of Golden Delicious
Golden Haidegg	Irradiated mutant clone
Golden Li 85-50	??
GOLDEN ORANGE P.V.R	cross of Golden Delicious, Italy
Golden Melon	Golden Delicious x Indo
Golden Morspur	spur type clone of (sport) Golden Delicious
Golden Parsi(S) da Rosa®	Russet-resistant selection of Golden Delicious
Golden Smoothee	Sprout mutation of Golden Delicious
Golden Supreme	Golden Delicious chance seedling
Goldenir (lysgolden)	radiation mutant of ‘Golden Delicious’
Goldensheen	Sport of Golden Delicious
Goldenspur	Sport of Golden Delicious
Goldina	Adina x Golden Delicious
GOLDRUSH® COOP 38	Cross of Golden Delicious and Coop17, USA
Gourmet Golden	Delicious ? x Golden Delicious, 1990, USA
Gradisca	Golden Delicious x Cripps Pink
Greensleeves	James Grieve x Golden Delicious
Grimes Golden	looks like Golden Delicious
Haruka	Golden Delicious × Delicious strain
Hawaii	Golden Delicious x Gravenstein
Hawkeye	??
Heliodor	Golden Delicious x Topaz
Hirodai Misaki	Golden Delicious x Hongdai No. 1
Honeygold	Golden Delicious x Haralson
Ihme	Very similar to Golden Delicious
Imperial Gala (mutation of Gala)	Kidd’s Orange Red x Golden Delicious
Ivette	Cox’s Orange Pippin x Golden Delicious
Jester	Worcester Pearmain × Starkspur Golden Delicious
Jonagold	Golden Delicious x Jonathan (Kougyoku)
Jorayca	Golden Delicious x Jonathan (Sport of Jonagold)
Jomured	Golden Delicious x Jonathan (Sport of Jonagold)
Judeline	Golden Delicious x Priam
Kinrei	Golden Delicious x Delicious
Kinsei (Kinboshi)	Kunimitsu x Golden Delicious
Korei	Golden Delicious x Indo
Kougetsu	Golden Delicious x Kogyoku
Lemon Pippin	sport of Golden Delicious
Ligol	Linda x  Golden Delicious
Magnolia Gold	Golden Delicious x Unknown
Maigold – Being sourced for 2025	Franc Roseau x Golden Delicious
Mavka	Golden Delicious x Lord Lambourne
Mellow	Golden Delicious x India x Indo
Melrose	Jonathan x Delicious
Merrigold	Sport of Golden Delicious
Mullins Yellow Seedling (Golden Delicious original)
Mutsu (Crispin)	Golden Delicious x Indo
Nugget	Golden Delicious x Unknown
Nuvar® Cheerfull Gold	Cox x Golden Delicious
Odin	Golden Delicious x Ingrid Marie
Opál®	Golden Delicious x Topaz
Orin	Golden Delicious x Indo
Ouka	Golden Delicious x Kogyoku
Ozark Gold	Golden Delicious x Red Delicious X Conrad
Penco	sport of Golden Delicious
Pink Delicious	Pink Lady x Golden Delicious x Hidden Rose
PINKGOLD® LERATESS P.V.R	Sport of Golden Delicious 972, France
Pinova	Clivia and Golden Delicious
Prima	Rome Beauty x Melba x Golden Delicious x Wealthy
Priolov Delises	Golden Delicious x Yellow April
Querina™	Golden Delicious and Jonathan, among others.
Red Falstaff	James Grieve  × Golden Delicious
Red Jonaprince	Jonathan x Golden Delicious
Red Prince	Jonathan x Golden Delicious
Red Saelet	sport of Golden Delicious
Redgold	Golden Delicious x Richared Delicious
Richared (LA73A)	?
Royal Gala	Golden Delicious x Kidd’s Orange Red
Rubin (CZ 1960/76)	Golden Delicious x Lord Lambourne
Rubinette syn. Rafzubin	Golden Delicious x Unknown
Saturn (GB 1980/94)	TSR15T3 x Stark Spur Golden Delicious
Seimei	Golden Delicious x Fuji
Sekaiichi	Delicious × Golden Delicious
Sekaiichi	Delicious × Golden Delicious
Sekiechi	Red Delicious and Golden Delicious
Septer – Being sourced for 2025	Jonathan x Golden Delicious
Shalimar	Topaz x Golden Delicious
Shinano Dolce	Golden Delicious x Chiaki
Shinano Gold	Golden Delicious x Senshu
Shinano Piccolo	Golden Delicious x Akane
Shinsei	Golden Delicious x Early McIntosh
Shinzuka	Golden Delicious x ??
Sir Prize	Doud Golden Delicious x hybrid PRI 14-152
Sinta	Golden Delicious x Grimes Golden
Skinlite	Golden Delicious x Collins
Smoothee	clone of Golden Delicious
Spencer	McIntosh x Golden Delicious
Spigold	Red Spy x Golden Delicious
Starkspur Golden Delicious	bud mutation (sport) of Golden Delicious
Starkspur Supreme	?
Summerred	McIntosh Red x Golden Delicious
Sun Fuji	Kokkou × Delicious
Sungold	Golden Delicious x Red Delicious
Sunrise	McIntosh x Golden Delicious x un-named cultivar
Sunshine	Natural Cross Seedlings of Golden Delicious
Sweet Caroline	McIntosh Red x Golden Delicious
Sweet Cornelly – Being sourced for 2025	Golden Delicious x McIntosh
Sweet Summer	seedling of Golden Delicious
Telstar (NZ 1939/66)	Golden Delicious x Kidd’s Orange Red
Testerspur Golden Delicious	sport of Golden Delicious
Tsugaru	Golden Delicious × Kougyoku
Venus	Golden Delicious x Delicious
Welcome	Golden Delicious x TE-317
World’s Best	Delicious x Golden Delicious
Yellospur	Grimes Golden x Unknown
Zomer Delicious	Yellow apple reminiscent of Golden Delicious

I bet that list astounded you, it did when we created this list. These are only the UK, USA, some EU and Japanese varieties, that we found easily.

Those that are highlighted in ‘yellow’ are those within the 1st round of trials. Those in ‘pink’ are for the 2nd round of trials. Any varieties that are still highlighted in ‘white’ are ones we have not found a source of scion wood or trees yet. Any offers would be appreciated.

Golden Delicious standard description

Golden Delicious GD is a variety of apple. That is not related to ‘Red Delicious’ at all.

GD arose from a chance seedling, possibly a hybrid of ‘Grimes Golden’ and ‘Golden Reinette’. The original tree was found on the Mullins’ family farm in Clay County, West Virginia, USA, and was locally known as Mullin’s Yellow Seedling and Annit apple. Mullins sold the tree and propagation rights to Stark Brothers Nurseries for $5000,

GD is a large, yellowish-green skinned cultivar and very sweet to the taste. It is prone to bruising and shriveling, so it needs careful handling and storage. It is a favorite for eating plain, as well as cooking due to its balanced flavour and its high pectin content that allows it to stay intact when cooked.

Shape – Oblong
Size – Medium
Height – 67.00mm
Width – 70.00mm
Background Colour – Yellow
Hue over colour – Orange when ripe
Lenticels – Visible
Russeting – Low
Crunch – Crisp
Flesh Colour – Yellowish

GD Effects on UK Apple Industry

Then came 1973 and Britain’s entry into the Common Market. Suddenly French apples began appearing in the shops. Because GD and to lesser degree the Granny Smith (originated in Australia in 1868) was released by the French on the UK public, approx 10 days earlier than Cox Orange Pippin became available, and due to the publicity. It decimated the UK’s apple industry, 60% of all UK’s apple orchards were grubbed up, often with EU grants that forbade replanting within 15 years. Kent, the Garden of England, lost 85% of its apple orchards. Hereford fared even worse, losing 90%.

Ironically, the Golden Delicious is an American apple, that came via Algeria to France. I remember buying these apples as they were boosted by a massive “le crunch” advertising campaign, they were cheap and all totally identical. No mention of flavor, as they did not have any. They were totally bland.

The fight back started in 1989 with the establishment of the Bramley Campaign. A year later the trade association English Apples and Pears was founded, and this then became British Apples and Pears.

Aims

To isolate a range of varieties that can grow in our climate and soil conditions. Ones that can produce reliably and heavily with a good disease resistance, and good storage ability.

Location and Soil Conditions

The trees are to be planted in the heart of the Midlands, UK. We regard our climate conditions to be ‘Zone 7a’ which is an average range of -15 deg C to -17.7 deg C, or RHS Zone H6 which is -15 deg C to -20 deg C. We do not regularly hit the -15 deg C, but it has been known.

Soil conditions are very heavy clay, that is very sticky during the winter, but like concrete in summer. Summer of 2022 for over 2 months was intense heat with drought restrictions in place. The location of planting will be in a north facing sloping field, that is open to the elements, be it bitterly cold wind in winter or drying hot sun in summer, with no irrigation.

The 1st year

With the exception of a few existing varieties that have been planted over the preceding years. Most are newly grafted onto M116 rootstock during early 2023. These will be planted out…..

To Follow

The 2nd year

To Follow in 2024