About Golden Russet Apple Tree Bloom Time

Bloom Time

• According to their blooming times, apple varieties are divided into four main groups. These are the early blooming, the mid-season blooming, the late mid-season/late flowering, and the very late flowering types. The golden russet apple falls in the early-blooming group that starts to produce flowers during early April.

Importance of Bloom Time

• Apple trees require pollination of the flowers by another apple variety for both pollination and subsequent fruiting to be effective. Since the blooming periods of apple varieties may not overlap with each other, it is important to select a pollinator that blooms at the same period as the variety from which you want fruit. Because the golden russet is an early-blooming tree, another early-blooming tree will ensure pollination. Apple tree flowers are pollinated only within a short, 10-day period.

Fruit Characteristics

• Golden russet apples are also known as American golden russet, sheepnose, fox apple and bullock pippin. The high sugar content in the fruit makes it a favored choice in cider production, fresh consumption and drying. The medium-sized, round fruit has a yellow color and is covered with numerous, obscure dots. The fine-grained fruit flesh is firm, yellow and crisp with a slightly acidic, juicy taste. Golden russet is ready for harvesting between September and October.

Tree Characteristics

• The tree is healthy and vigorous in growth but prone to cedar-apple rust. Golden russet apples trees are often biennial in nature and produce their fruit every other year. Since the fruit is produced on the tips of previous-year shoots, prune older shoots minimally. Remove the older wood in the lower and inner canopy of tree as this encourages good fruiting. The sprawling tree is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 7.