GALA
| Origin | New Zealand, bred circa 1934, named 1965. Patented in USA in 1974. |
| Parentage | Kidd's Orange Red x Golden Delicious. Kidd's Orange Red = Cox's Orange Pippin x Delicious. |
| Availability | Mid September to April. |
| Source | Available from most commercial nurseries. |
| Quality | Moderately rich aromatic, fairly sweet; sub acid, firm, crisp, juicy; similar to Golden Delicious but not as rich and more tang. |
| Fruit: |
| Size | Medium to small. |
| Surface | Fairly smooth, may have some scarf skin, said to resist bruising, may become waxy if left on the tree too long or after long storage. |
| Ground Colour | Pale greenish yellow to golden yellow depending on maturity and ripeness. |
| Over Colour | Washed and streaked with bright orange red covering most of the apple. |
| Flesh Colour | Creamy yellow. |
| Harvest Season | Late September to Red Delicious season; requires two or three spot pickings. Will ripen and develop high flavour at end of season if left on the tree. |
| Storage | Keeps well in storage though the quality declines somewhat; up to seven months in Controlled Atmosphere storage. |
| Strains | Many red strains have been found, most are striped. Regal™ (Fulford cv.) is blushed, a few days earlier maturing and has a slightly shorter storage life and, therefore, not recommended. Gala Supreme™ is a look-alike chance seedling, late maturing, only moderate quality, scab resistant. |
| Tree: |
| Vigour | Very vigourous. |
| Habit | Globe-like with multiple shoots at the ends of each branch all over the crown of the tree. |
| Precocity | Early bearing, may have flowers on one year wood but fruit will be small. |
| Fruit Placement | Chiefly on spurs as the tree matures, similar to Red Delicious. |
| Bloom Period | With Spartan, of relatively long duration. |
| Pollination | Readily pollinated by other mid blooming diploids except Golden Delicious; sets heavily, requires thinning. |
| Nutrition | Should be well fed. |
| Crop | Heavy and regular cropper if thinned. |
| Synchrony | Not too uniform, at least two pickings are recommended. |
| Adaptation | Seems widely adapted. |
| Disease Reaction | Susceptible to scab and canker, cedar apple rust, powdery mildew, apple mosaic virus and very susceptible to fireblight. |
| Insect Reaction | None noted. |
| Rootstock | Tree is suited to intensive culture; needs a stronger stock than many other cultivars in order to maintain growth/cropping balance. |
| Comments: |
| Gala is a relatively new cultivar with much to commend it if grown within its characteristics. Originally thought to be too small for commercial success, Gala's high quality and recognizable appearance have captured an increasing world market share at premium prices. Fruit size can be improved to some degree with good orchard design and management. |
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