The apple variety ‘Graham's Jubilee Apple’ was already registered in 1888 and is characterized by its good health and robustness. We present the autumn apple and the special features of cultivation and care.
As early as 1888, John Graham accidentally discovered a seedling of unknown origin in England. He called it Grahams Jubilee ’, which is now called Grahams Jubilee Apple’ or Grahams ’for short. The apple tree ‘Graham's anniversary apple’ is particularly popular because of its robustness against all kinds of typical apple ailments and because of its tasty apples.
contents
- ‘Graham's anniversary apple’: profile
- History and origin of the apple
- Properties and taste of ‘Graham's anniversary apple’
- Tips on growing and caring for ‘Graham's anniversary apple’
- Harvest and use apple variety ‘Graham's anniversary apple’
‘Graham's Jubilee Apple’: Characteristics
| synonym | ’Grahams Jubilee’, ’Grahams’, ’Graham Royal Jubilee’, ’Grahams Queen’s Jubilee Apple’ |
| fruit | great; green to light yellow basic color with orange-red covering color |
| taste | moderately juicy, sweet |
| Yield | high and regular |
| Harvest time | Mid-September to mid-October |
| Ripe for enjoyment | Mid-September to mid-October |
| Shelf life | bad |
| growth | medium strength |
| climate | not suitable for locations with a risk of late frost or drafts |
| Diseases and pests | no known vulnerabilities |
History and origin of the apple
Like so many popular apple varieties - for example the ‘Korbinian apple’- Graham's anniversary apple’ was also not specifically bred, but discovered by chance. The mother and father varieties are therefore unknown. John Graham recognized the potential of the tree and the good taste of the fruit and named the variety as early as 1888. The origin of its unusual name is well documented: John Graham dedicated his new apple variety to Queen Victoria, which in 1887 became her 50th. Jubilee of the throne. For this reason, the apple was initially also called ‘Graham Royal Jubilee’, resp. in Germany ‘Graham's Queen Jubilee Apple’.
It was not until 1893 that the apple variety was then professionally produced and marketed by the Bunyard tree nursery in Maidstone. In the 1950s and 60s, the ‘Graham's Jubilee Apple’ was still grown commercially on the Lower Elbe and in the Altes Land and mainly used for core extraction. Today the apple is no longer important in fruit growing, but it is very popular to plant in private gardens.
Properties and taste of ‘Graham's Jubilee Apple’
The ‘Graham Jubilee’ apple has a tall, conical and somewhat irregular shape and, with an average fruit weight of 140 g, is one of the larger apple varieties. The apples have a green to light yellow basic color - only on the sunny side can a faint orange-red develop as a covering color. The smooth, rustless peel of the ‘Graham's Jubilee Apple’ is dull and firm. There is only some russeting on the stem and the deep calyx pit. The flesh is loose and whitish with a yellow tinge and medium-sized cells. ‘Grahams Jubilee’ feels moderately juicy in the mouth. Unfortunately, the ‘Graham's anniversary apple’ only ends up in the middle range when it comes to taste: it is more sweet than sour. Many lovers are still convinced of this apple. The solid shell of ‘Graham's Jubilee’ is firm and therefore not very sensitive to pressure.
Tips on growing and caring for ‘Graham's Jubilee Apple’
"Graham's Jubilee" is robust and generally healthy. There are no known susceptibilities to typical apple tree diseases. It also thrives on poor soils, in rough mountainous areas and on boggy soils - where many other varieties have long since given up. The wood is particularly insensitive to the effects of frost, frost cracks almost never occur. The late, short flowering is more sensitive and does not tolerate any frosts. There is a small hook on this “miracle tree”: In locations at risk of late frost, the blossom can freeze, what leads to crop failure and also a number of years with fluctuating yields - called "alternation" - triggers. In locations where there is no risk of late frost, however, the yields are high and even. Drafty locations can also be a problem: ‘Grahams Royal Jubilee’ can easily be picked up by the wind Shake off the branches prematurely, which leads to bruises on ripe specimens or buckets of half-ripe fruit brings in.
‘Graham's anniversary apple’ grows moderately and forms an umbrella-shaped crown with age if it is not cut into a different shape. The cut of the variety ‘Graham's Jubilee Apple’ should be rather reserved, since too much pruning can also trigger alternation. It is better to prune the apple tree annually so as not to stimulate the tree with radical measures to vegetative growth.
Tip: The location requirements and the growth of ‘Graham's Jubilee Apple’ are of course influenced by the chosen base, as is the case with every noble variety. The above properties are especially true for seedlings on their own roots. A suitable base for "Graham's Jubilee" is, for example, M9.
With its late bloom, ‘Graham's Jubilee Apple’ cannot be fertilized by any apple variety. Suitable pollinators are ‘Laxtons Superb’, ‘Red star ribbon’, ‘Yellow noble apple' and 'Spice Liquids’.
Apple variety ‘Graham's Jubilee Apple’ harvest and use
The best time of the apple year is definitely the harvest time: between mid-September and October the apples are ripe and ready to eat. The apples are considered unsuitable for cold storage; at best, they should be processed fresh. The ‘Graham's anniversary apple’ is particularly popular for baking, as its yellow pulp makes for a beautiful color and stays firm even when cooking and baking. ‘Graham's anniversary apple’ is also very popular as a compote or dried fruit. As a table apple, on the other hand, the apple variety is not used that often, but with its sweet taste it has its charm here too.
Is ‘Graham's Jubilee Apple’ too diva-like for you? Or are you looking for an apple with a better shelf life? Then try the ‘Ontario apple‘. This is not only frost-hardy and can be stored for a long time, but is also extremely tasty.