Malus Domestica Gala or Gala Apple Tree

Malus Domestica Gala Apple is a deciduous fruit tree with tasty, red-flushed apples that ripen in October. This highly-regarded dessert apple suits small to medium-sized spaces and kitchen gardens.

Bred in New Zealand in 1934 from Golden Delicious and Kidd’s Orange Red, Gala apples didn’t gain popularity until they were introduced commercially in 1965. Today, it’s one of the most popular eating apple varieties worldwide. Although it's widely available in stores, store-bought Gala apples don’t compare to sweeter and much larger home-grown versions.

Gala apple is a popular eater and the dominant parent of its highly-coloured sports Royal Gala and Gala Must. It has beautiful smooth skin that’s orange-red flushed, or gold with red stripes, and white, pollinator-friendly blossom in April.

Over the summer months, a generous crop of medium-sized apples form on its sturdy, spreading crown and ripen in autumn.

Height and Spread of Malus Domestica Gala
Malus Domestica Gala is a medium-sized, upright eating apple tree. It reaches a maximum height and spread of 4-5 metres.

How Hardy Is Malus Domestica Gala
Gala apple trees are hardy in the UK down to minus temperatures if their roots are well-drained and they receive plenty of sun. Blossom arrives in April and May, which avoids the worst of the UK’s bad weather, but a late frost may damage its flowers.

How To Use Malus Domestica Gala
Gala apple is a sweet, aromatic dessert apple with a slight tang that’s enjoyed by many people. Its juicy apples are tasty straight from the tree and easily stored or frozen. Blackbirds and thrushes eagerly clear away windfalls.
Because it sits in pollination group 4, Gala apple is partially self-fertile. However, it will fruit better with a pollinating partner, such as another apple such as Cox's Pomona or a crab apple tree, that blossoms in the near vicinity at the same time.

It’s a good choice for sunny urban gardens and small to medium-sized spaces. If you can only fit in one apple tree, Gala is a reliable pick.

How To Care For Malus Domestica Gala
Gala apple is easy to grow and care for.
Choose a well-drained spot in full sun with shelter from harsh, drying winds. It will need water for at least the first year, and a thick layer of organic mulch around its roots in springtime.
Prune Gala apples in late winter by removing crossed, dead, or diseased branches, followed by a third of the previous year’s growth. Cut its branches back to an outward-facing bud. The aim is an open crown of well-spaced branches with plenty of fruiting spurs.

See also Creating an Orchard Garden.