Apple
Can I Grow Golden Delicious?
Golden Delicious is the versatile workhorse of the apple world — sweet, mellow, and excellent for fresh eating, baking, and sauce. It's also one of the best pollinators for other apple varieties.
Growing Requirements
Chill Hours
700
Hardiness Zones
4-5-6-7-8
Harvest
September to October
Pollination
Self-fertile (but produces better with a partner)
Results
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About Golden Delicious
Golden Delicious is the versatile workhorse of the apple world — sweet, mellow, and excellent for fresh eating, baking, and sauce. It's also one of the best pollinators for other apple varieties.
Golden Delicious requires 700 chill hours — the number of hours between 32°F and 45°F during winter dormancy. Without enough chill, the tree may fail to flower properly or produce poor fruit.
⚠️ Common Challenges
Skin is prone to russeting and bruising; flavor becomes bland if harvested too late.
❌ Common Misconception
Can I grow Golden Delicious in Zone 9 or warmer?
No. While Golden Delicious is listed for zones 4-8, it requires 700 chill hours to produce fruit. Warm zones like 9+ typically receive only 200-400 chill hours. The tree may survive but will not fruit reliably. Consider low-chill alternatives like Anna apple (200h) or Tropic Snow peach (200h) instead.
Other Apple Varieties
Plan Your Orchard
Log pruning, spraying, and harvests. See what you did last season. All your trees in one place.
Start Tracking Free →Chill hour data from Open-Meteo Historical Weather API. Variety information compiled from university extension services.