I have a Hudsons Golden Gem apple on M26 and it seems healthy and reasonably vigorous.
It was an already-branched bare-root specimen that I got from Raintree and it already had a one-inch trunk when I received it. It must have been at least 2-3 years old when it was shipped to me.
The first year after planting it bore some apples that I removed.
The second year it grew maybe six large apples that split in the rain and were mushy and tasteless.
This last season it had maybe 12 *enormous* apples on it, they didn't split but were mushy and tasteless. They were ridiculously large, maybe I didn't need to thin so much.
In any case, if these apples aren't going to get better, I don't want this tree. Do I have any reason to believe it will improve?
(I live in Canby, 20 miles south of Portland, OR)
[quote="plumfun":1rob0iw1]I wonder if you have a mislabed apple tree? I have also seen that many a time.[/quote:1rob0iw1]
I was thinking the same thing. The locally grown Hudson's Golden Gems around here are certainly not "enormous" - maybe baseball sized, and quite crunchy.
Many years ago, I'd ordered a Golden Nugget benchgraft from Bear Creek Nursery (now defunct) that turned out to be closer to Golden Sweet, and a Richared Delicious that never even flowered after nine years.
[quote="Fred Z":2nfb8xnu][quote="plumfun":2nfb8xnu]I wonder if you have a mislabed apple tree? I have also seen that many a time.[/quote:2nfb8xnu]
I was thinking the same thing. The locally grown Hudson's Golden Gems around here are certainly not "enormous" - maybe baseball sized, and quite crunchy.
Many years ago, I'd ordered a Golden Nugget benchgraft from Bear Creek Nursery (now defunct) that turned out to be closer to Golden Sweet, and a Richared Delicious that never even flowered after nine years.[/quote:2nfb8xnu]
I am slowly coming around to understand that just as one single bud can mutate and become a sport, a bud could also mutate and become a non-bearing tree. Not sure what % likelyhood this is, but conceivably it could happen. 
Well, these apples certainly look like Hudson's Golden Gem. Completely russeted and conically shaped. I think HGG is by nature considerably larger than average. I'm pretty certain the variety is correct as I have also read that they tend to crack in their early years. I just wonder if they also improve in taste and texture as the years go by.
All I can say is that the Hudson's Golden Gems I had for the first time this last year were anything but mushy & tasteless; about 7 or 8 were from a youngish tree in Sweet Home and were smaller (it hadn't been thinned) and mild flavored but reasonably crisp; and the 15 I had from Hood River area tasted about the same but were generally larger; also from several younger trees but think better cared for. Ate the last one yesterday, and was getting a bit dry & mealy; but still a superior apple!
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