Two-in-one apple tree Malus domestica Gala and Golden Delicious

The Duo Apple Tree ‘Gala’ and ‘Golden Delicious’ is a "two-in-one" fruit tree that combines these two famous varieties. It is a self-fertile and productive apple tree. It flowers in April and bears fruit from late August to October. Half of its crown carries 'Gala' apples, orange-red streaked with yellow, harvested in September, while the other half bears the beautiful 'Golden Delicious' apples, transitioning from green to yellow, ripening in October.

The tree carries two grafts, grafted in a Y-shape:

'Gala' apple graft: This variety produces medium-sized fruits with red skin streaked with yellow. Their flesh is crisp, sweet, and juicy, with a lightly fragrant note. It is an apple appreciated for its firm texture and balanced taste, ideal for fresh consumption. Its harvest begins in late August and extends into September.

'Golden Delicious' apple graft: It offers larger apples, with smooth skin, green then golden yellow, turning slightly pink when well-exposed to sunlight. Their flesh is fine, sweet, and melting, with a delicate aroma and excellent storage qualities. Its harvest takes place between September and October, extending the enjoyment of tasting.

The combination of these two grafts ensures an abundant and staggered harvest while promoting natural cross-pollination, which improves fruit production.

Malus domestica (domestic apple tree) is a fruit tree belonging to the Rosaceae family, just like the pear tree, the cherry tree, and the plum tree. Originating from Central Asia, it has spread widely across Europe and America over the centuries. The ‘Gala’ variety was born in New Zealand in 1934, created by J.H. Kidd from a cross-breeding between ‘Golden Delicious’ and ‘Kidd’s Orange Red’. Highly appreciated for its sweet taste and crisp texture, it is now one of the most consumed apples worldwide. As for ‘Golden Delicious’, it was discovered in the United States in 1890, in West Virginia. Resulting from a spontaneous seedling, likely descended from ‘Grimes Golden’ and ‘Golden Reinette’, it has established itself as one of the most popular varieties thanks to its mild flavour and great versatility.
This Y-grafted apple tree forms a tree with a rounded and balanced silhouette, reaching 4 to 5 metres in height. Its habit is well-suited to cultivation in free forms (standard, half-standard, or bush) or as an espalier for small spaces. Its deciduous foliage is composed of ovate and toothed leaves, deep green in spring and summer, before turning beautiful yellow shades in autumn. Flowering occurs in spring, between April and early May, offering an abundance of delicately fragrant white blossom, which attracts bees and other pollinators. The ‘Gala’ variety flowers slightly earlier than 'Golden Delicious', enabling natural cross-pollination, thus optimising fruiting. Despite some sensitivity to spring frosts, the blossom is very abundant, so harvests are generally assured.
Hardy down to -20°C, this apple tree adapts to many climates and soils, provided they are well-drained and sunny. A mature apple tree (between 10 and 20 years old) can produce an average of 30 to 50 kg of apples per year.

Gala and Golden Delicious apples store well after harvest. Kept in a cool and ventilated place, they can last for several weeks, or even several months for ‘Golden Delicious’. They can also be frozen after cutting or transformed into jams and compotes.

Apples can be enjoyed fresh, bitten into whole or added to a fruit salad. They are also perfect for many recipes such as pies, compotes, crumbles, cakes, and clafoutis. They also pair well with savoury dishes, particularly as an accompaniment to roasted poultry, pork, black pudding, or aged cheeses. They can also be processed into apple juice, cider, or dried apples. In addition to being delicious, apples have health benefits. They are low in calories and rich in fibre, which aids digestion. They also contain vitamins C, B, and E, as well as antioxidants, which help combat cellular ageing. Apples are also an excellent source of potassium and pectin.