Fruit

GALA was developed in New Zealand by J. H. Kigg in Greytown, Wairarapa, and is a cross of Kidd's Orange Red (Red Delicious and Cox's Orange Pippin) and Golden Delicious. It was raised in 1934 and named in 1965. The red-orange color comes from the red striping on the golden skin, and some cultivars exhibit a brighter overall red color than others. The red color is a poor predictor of fruit maturity, and in commercial production, a number of pickings should be made. The creamy-yellow flesh of this dessert apple is crisp, dense, and aromatic, with a subacid flavor. It is small in size, unless heavily thinned, and conical to round in shape. Gala is considered a self-fruitful variety, but the use of a pollinator like Golden Delicious will improve the crop. It is also a good pollinator for other varieties. If frosted out, there is rebloom on one-year old wood, unless near petal fall, when the return bloom would already be aborted. There are some reports of mildew, but generally, there are no major disease problems that cannot be controlled. It seems more resistant to sunburn than many other varieties, and there is little preharvest drop. The long stem allows particularly good spray penetration. It ripens in August and stores better than initially reported.