Apple 'Jonagold'

Planting Your Apple Tree
Choose a sunny, sheltered position where the fruits will receive plenty of light as they ripen. Plant at the same depth it was growing in its pot, gently firm the soil around the roots and water thoroughly.

Growing in a Container
M9 is a dwarfing rootstock well suited to smaller spaces. If growing your tree in a container, choose a substantial pot with good drainage and use a good-quality growing medium. Keep container-grown trees regularly watered, particularly during warm, dry weather.

Supporting Your Tree
Trees grown on M9 have relatively small root systems and benefit from permanent support. Use a sturdy stake and tree tie, checking the tie as the trunk grows to make sure it doesn't become too tight.

Feeding & Watering
Feed in spring as growth gets underway and water regularly while the tree establishes. Pay particular attention to watering while the fruits are swelling, especially with trees growing in containers.

Top Tip
‘Jonagold’ can set a generous crop. If branches are carrying lots of young apples, thin some of the fruit in early summer. This gives the remaining apples more room to develop and reduces the weight carried by the branches.

Pollination Group 3
‘Jonagold’ belongs to apple pollination group 3 and is not self-fertile. Grow it within pollinating distance of another compatible apple that flowers at around the same time for reliable fruit set.

A Triploid Apple
‘Jonagold’ is triploid, which means its pollen isn't suitable for pollinating other apple varieties. It can still be successfully pollinated by compatible apples growing nearby.

Choosing Pollination Partners
If you're planting several apple trees together, remember that ‘Jonagold’ cannot return the favour and pollinate its partner. Where necessary, choose two compatible pollinating varieties that can pollinate each other as well as ‘Jonagold’.

Top Tip
Don't assume you need three apple trees in your own garden. Compatible apple or crab apple trees growing in neighbouring gardens may provide the pollen ‘Jonagold’ needs, provided their flowering periods overlap.

When to Pick
‘Jonagold’ is a mid to late-season apple, with fruits generally ready from around October. Look for well-coloured fruits that come away easily when gently lifted and twisted.

Give Them Time
Sunshine helps ‘Jonagold’ develop its attractive red colouring and rich flavour, so allow the fruits plenty of time to ripen on the tree before picking.

Storing Your Apples
Set aside sound, unblemished fruits for storing and use any damaged or bruised apples first. Keep your best apples somewhere cool, dark, frost-free and well ventilated, checking them occasionally during storage.

Top Tip
Don't judge ripeness by red colouring alone. A sunny side of the apple can colour before the fruit is fully ready, so use the gentle lift-and-twist test before harvesting the whole crop.

Fresh from the Tree
Homegrown ‘Jonagold’ is particularly enjoyable eaten fresh, with crisp flesh and a rich combination of sweetness and honeyed flavour. Let the fruits ripen well on the tree to enjoy them at their best.

More Than a Snacking Apple
Enjoy ‘Jonagold’ fresh from the tree, or make good use of a generous harvest in the kitchen. Its sweet, juicy apples are great for cakes, crumbles and pies, and can also be pressed for juice.

Make the Most of Your Crop
Eat your ripest apples first, use any marked or damaged fruits for cooking and put the best undamaged apples aside for storing. With a heavy-cropping tree like ‘Jonagold’, it's a useful way to enjoy more of your harvest for longer.

Potted Fruit Trees
You will receive an established young fruit tree in a nursery pot, ready to plant straight into its final position in the garden or a suitable large container.

What to Expect Through the Seasons
Fruit trees are deciduous, so their appearance naturally changes throughout the year. Trees delivered during autumn or winter may have yellowing leaves or no leaves at all as they enter dormancy. Fresh new growth will appear again in spring.

Ready to Plant
Your tree can be planted into its final position on arrival. If growing it in a container, choose a substantial pot with good drainage and keep it regularly watered while it establishes, particularly during warm, dry weather.