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Jonagold apple tree

Malus domestica 'Jonagold'

Jonagold
Jonagold has received the RHS Award of Garden MeritJonagold is listed in the RHS Plants for Pollinators
  • Picking season: Late
  • Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
  • Pollination group: 4
  • Awards: RHS AGM (current) 1993
Jonagold is a high quality American apple, with a good balanced sweet/sharp flavor.
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Jonagold apple trees for sale

  • 1Small 1-year bare-root tree $37.95
    Mature height: 6ft-9ft after 10 years
    G.11 rootstock
  • 2Medium 1-year bare-root tree $37.95
    Mature height: 8ft-12ft after 10 years
    Semi-dwarf rootstock
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Jonagold is a widely-grown American apple variety with an excellent rich aromatic flavor. It is widely grown in the USA and Europe.

Jonagold stores well, a quality it inherits from one of its parents, Golden Delicious. However it gets its excellent flavor from its other parent, the well-respected old New York apple variety Jonathan. It has a combination of good sweetness and good sharpness that often denotes a high quality apple.

Jonagold is a very versatile apple. As well as being excellent for eating fresh, it is a popular for all kinds of culinary uses, and good for juice and cider. The apples can be picked over several weeks - pick earlier if you want to store them.

How to grow

The main horticultural issue is that Jonagold is a triploid apple variety and therefore needs two separate pollination partners nearby (or one self-fertile one). If you have apple trees nearby or in neighboring gardens, they may be suitable. Golden Delicious is a reliable pollinator of many varieties but Jonagold is an exception and cannot be pollinated by Golden Delicious. Like most triploid apple varieties, Jonagold produces a fairly large tree and the apples are also fairly large. Cropping is generally good and there is no need to thin the fruit.

Jonagold is susceptible to a number of apple diseases, but its vigorous triploid nature seems to help it keep going.

Jonagold likes a warmer climate but can be grown across quite a wide climate range.

Advice on fruit tree pollination.

History

Jonagold is a cross between two classic American apple varieties, Golden Delicious and Jonathan. Developed by the famous Geneva research station in New York State in 1943.

Jonagold characteristics

  • Gardening skillAverage
  • Self-fertilityNot self-fertile
  • Pollination group4
  • Pollinating othersPoor
  • PloidyTriploid
  • Bearing regularityRegular
  • Fruit bearingSpur-bearer
  • WildlifeRHS Plants for Pollinators
  • Picking seasonLate
  • UsesEating freshCulinaryJuiceHard cider
  • CroppingHeavy
  • Keeping (of fruit)1-2 months
  • Flavor style (apples)Sweet/Sharp
  • General resistancePoor
  • FireblightSome susceptibility
  • CankerSome susceptibility
  • ScabSome susceptibility
  • Cedar apple rustSome susceptibility
  • Cold hardiness (USDA)(4) -30F / -34C
  • Summer maximum temperaturesCool ( 20-24C / 68-75F)Warm (25-30C / 76-85F)
  • Chill requirementLow-chill - A borderline case - only needs about 700 hours
  • Country of originUnited States
  • Period of origin1900 - 1949
  • Fruit colorOrange flush
  • AwardsRHS AGM (current) - 1993