Red Delicious Apple

Red Delicious Apple (Malus domestica 'Red Delicious') is the deep crimson dessert apple most Australians grew up on, and still one of the best keepers off a home tree. Left alone it reaches about 4m tall and 3m wide, though pruning holds it at 2m to 3m. Blossom in spring, fruit through late summer and autumn, then autumn colour.

Why you'll love it

• Fruit worth the wait. Sweet, mild and firm, with a thick dark skin that stores for weeks rather than days.
• Three seasons of interest. Blossom, fruit and autumn colour from one tree, enough for an ornamental bed.
• Roots that stay out of trouble. The root system is non-invasive, so it can go near paving, a shed or a fence.
• You control the size. Winter pruning keeps it at 2m to 3m, within reach and easy to net against birds.

Where it works best

Small gardens and home orchards. Pruned hard each winter it fits a suburban backyard rather than a paddock.

Feature planting. The blossom and autumn colour hold up in a front garden, so it does not need hiding out the back.

Pots and containers. A pot 500mm or wider works if you commit to the watering, since containers dry out fast in summer.

Growing Red Delicious Apple in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, and a genuine winter. This is a high chill apple for cool temperate, warm temperate and Mediterranean gardens: the tablelands, Victoria, Tasmania and the Adelaide Hills. It is frost hardy and wind tolerant, but it will not fruit reliably in the subtropics or tropics, where winters are too mild to break dormancy.

Pollination. It needs a compatible partner nearby to set a decent crop. Granny Smith or Gala flowering at the same time within about 15m is the simplest solution.

Soil and water. Deep, free draining loam with compost through the backfill. Water deeply twice a week through the first two summers, and keep water up while fruit swells. Mulch 75mm deep, clear of the trunk.

Feed and pruning. Complete fertiliser in early spring and again after harvest. Prune in winter to an open vase, which lets light into the centre and keeps fruit within reach.

What to expect when it arrives

Two sizes are grown: an advanced 45L tree, and 250mm pots sold in packs of three. The 45L can crop within a season or two. The 250mm plants take three to four years to fruit, but establish quickly and are better value if you are planting several.

A tree sent in the cooler months may arrive bare stemmed. That is normal, and winter is the easiest time for it to travel. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse the full apple tree range for a pollinating partner.
• Compare the wider fruit tree collection.
• Fruit trees for every season covers planting and timing.
• Espaliered trees fit fruit into a narrow space.

Common questions

Will it fruit in Brisbane or Perth?

Not reliably in the subtropics. It needs high winter chill, so it performs in cool temperate, warm temperate and Mediterranean districts, including the Perth hills, but not in mild coastal Queensland.

How do I keep it small?

Prune every winter to an open vase and take the leaders back. That holds it at 2m to 3m and makes picking and netting easier.

Is any part of it toxic to pets?

The leaves and seeds contain cyanogenic compounds, so they are not safe for cats, dogs or livestock to eat in quantity. The flesh of the fruit is harmless. Pick up windfalls if your dog chews everything.