Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Golden Dorsett Apple
Golden Dorsett Apple is a very low-chill apple with sweet, golden fruit that tastes a lot like Golden Delicious. It needs only about 100 chill hours, so it bears throughout the low desert. Pale pink blossoms open in spring, and the yellow apples with a red blush ripen in early summer. It sets fruit on its own and is the classic partner for an Anna apple.
Best for: an early, sweet apple harvest in the low desert, a partner tree for Anna, and a backyard fruit tree with spring flowers.
Golden Dorsett needs only about 100 chill hours, less than almost any other apple. It bears reliably across the low desert, where winters are short. The sweet fruit ripens in early summer, before the heat peaks.
Golden Dorsett and Anna bloom together, so each helps the other set more fruit. Plant them in the same yard and let the bees carry pollen between them. Either one also fruits on its own.
It grows about 10 to 20 feet tall and 10 to 15 feet wide, depending on the rootstock. Prune it each winter to keep the fruit within reach. Pale pink blossoms cover it in spring.
Hot afternoon sun can scorch young trees and the fruit, so some afternoon protection helps. Soggy soil in spring can yellow the leaves and rot the roots. Birds find ripe apples first.
- Semi-dwarf trees12-15 ft apart, center to center
- Standard trees18-20 ft apart, center to center
Water a new tree often while it roots in. Once it is established, soak the root zone 18 inches to 3 feet deep about every 1 to 2 weeks while it grows. In winter, water about once a month.
Prune in late winter while the tree is dormant, before the buds break. Take out crossing, dead and inward branches to keep the tree open.
Young apple trees do best with some protection from hot afternoon sun, which can also scorch the fruit. Paint the trunk with white tree paint to prevent sunburn.
Feed in early spring as the tree wakes up, again in May before the heat, and again in September.
Golden Dorsett sets fruit on its own, but it bears more with an Anna planted nearby. Birds find ripe fruit first, so cover the tree with netting or bag the fruit before it ripens.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
Is Golden Dorsett the same as Dorsett Golden?
Yes. It is the same apple, sold under both names, so buy either one.
Will Golden Dorsett grow in Phoenix?
Yes. It needs only about 100 chill hours and bears throughout the low desert. Plant it in full sun with some afternoon protection while young.
Does it need a pollinator?
It sets fruit on its own, but it bears more with Anna planted nearby. The two bloom at the same time.
When is it ready to pick?
In the Valley it ripens in early summer, usually in the first half of June. Pick before the hottest weather.
What does it taste like?
It is sweet, much like Golden Delicious, with yellow skin and a red blush. Pick it in early summer for the best flavor.
How big does it get?
It grows about 10 to 20 feet tall and 10 to 15 feet wide, depending on the rootstock. Prune in winter to keep it lower.
How often should I water it?
Water a new tree often while it roots in. Once established, soak it 18 inches to 3 feet deep about every 1 to 2 weeks while it grows, and about monthly in winter.
When should I prune it?
Prune in late winter while the tree is bare, before the buds break. Remove crossing, dead and inward branches.
Why paint the trunk white?
White tree paint keeps the bark from sunburning. Paint the trunk at planting and touch it up as the tree grows.
Golden Dorsett Apple for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Golden Dorsett Apple, also sold as Dorsett Golden, is a very low-chill apple with sweet golden fruit early in summer. Below: chill hours, pairing with Anna, harvest, watering, pruning and sun.
Sourced from trusted Arizona growers and delivered directly to your door, job site, or property. We deliver across the Valley and to nearby towns, and quote delivery anywhere else in Arizona.
Golden Dorsett apple chill hours
Golden Dorsett needs only about 100 chill hours. That is why it fruits across the low desert, where winters are short.
Golden Dorsett and Anna apples
The two bloom at the same time and help each other set more fruit. Each one also fruits on its own.
When to pick Golden Dorsett apples
In the Valley the fruit ripens in early summer, usually in the first half of June.
Growing apples in Phoenix
Choose low-chill apples like Golden Dorsett and Anna. Give them full sun, some afternoon protection while young, and deep watering.
Watering Golden Dorsett
Soak the root zone 18 inches to 3 feet deep about every 1 to 2 weeks while the tree grows, and about monthly in winter.
Pruning Golden Dorsett
Prune in late winter while the tree is bare. Keep the tree open and low enough to pick.
We deliver across the Valley, from Phoenix, Scottsdale and Mesa out to San Tan Valley, Maricopa and Casa Grande, and up to Prescott, Sedona, Payson and Globe. See delivery areas and rates.