Apple tree Gala Organic - Malus domestica

The Gala Apple is a quite vigorous and highly productive variety, ensuring a quick fruiting on a tree that easily branches out. Its rounded, medium-sized fruits with a skin streaked with red and yellow, contain a crunchy, juicy and sweet flesh, with aromas of banana and pear. At harvest, in September, the Gala apple is enjoyed fresh, it is refreshing and invigorating. It is also excellent in pies, compotes or sautéed and can be used in savoury recipes. It is self-sterile and requires the presence of other apple varieties to improve pollination. A flavourful fruit, highly appreciated!

Plant from Organic Agriculture.

Malus domestica, scientifically also called Malus communis or Malus pumila, is commonly known as the Common or Domestic Apple Tree. It belongs to the Rosaceae family. Present in Europe since antiquity, it is a fruit tree native to the forests of Central Asia. Its hardiness is excellent, making it probably the most cultivated fruit tree in Northern Europe. There are about 20,000 varieties, including approximately 10,000 of American origin, 2,000 of English origin, and 2,000 of Chinese origin.

The 'Gala' is a variety created in New Zealand by J.H. Kidds in 1920. It resulted from several crosses: Cox Orange x Red Delicious, which gave Kidd's Orange Red, itself crossed with Golden Delicious to obtain Gala. There are several mutants of the Gala apple, often selected for their more pronounced red colouration, such as Royal Gala®, Delbard Gala®, Gala Star®, Galaval or Jugala, Mondial Gala® and Galaxy Gala. The Gala Apple tree has a spreading habit and can reach approximately 4 to 5 m in height and 3 to 4 m in width when fully grown. Its habit is well suited to half-standard or standard stems and espalier forms. Its foliage consists of large, ovate leaves, dark green above, whitish green below, with deeply toothed edges. The mid-early flowering occurs in April, which usually protects it from frost. The apple tree is therefore suitable for cultivation in most regions. The flowers are destroyed by frost from -2 to -3 °C. It is a triploid variety, which despite its vigour, produces poor-quality pollen, making it very weakly capable of pollinating other apple varieties. It produces apples with few or no viable seeds. It is said to be self-sterile, which is why the presence of apple trees that bloom at the same time is necessary. Varieties such as Belchard®, Elstar, Fuji, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Melrose, and Reine des reinettes are suitable for cross-pollination. Ornamental apple trees, such as Perpetu Evereste and John Downie, flower abundantly and can be excellent pollinators.

The Gala Apple is a fairly vigorous variety, with quick fruiting, highly productive, and bearing fruit biennially. The uniform and abundant fruiting begins in early September. The apple can be consumed raw or cooked, in compotes, in pastries, paired with cheeses, or as an accompaniment to savoury dishes, with black pudding, pork, or in salads. It is also perfect for making juice. Easy to consume, the apple provides a great feeling of satiety. Rich in carbohydrates and fructose, it is invigorating, energising, and rehydrating. Its content of vitamins A, B, C, and E, minerals, antioxidants, and fibre makes the apple a healthy choice. The fruits can be stored for part of the winter in a cool, clean place, protected from light at a temperature around 8 to 10 °C, or in a cold room, sealed off from outside air at a temperature of 1 to 3 °C. The apple releases ethene, a gas that promotes fruit ripening. To accelerate the ripening of your other fruits or vegetables, place apples nearby.

The apple tree is very popular, thanks to its fruits, and finds its rightful place in the garden. Among our wide range of apple trees, it is easy to find the variety that best suits your desires.