I am in the process of learning to grow my own food, it's a slow process, but I was successful with my peaches and tomatoes this year. I kick myself in the butt, because I did not pay enough attention to my mom and her gardening skills.

So here's my question. I planted my golden tree, which appears to be roughly 3-4 years old, trunk is pretty thick. It did not bear fruit this year and planted it in late March. we have had a pretty cool summer, well most of the summer was cool, 80's and 90's compared to a typical summer in the 100's, and we have had a few cool spells. This past 3 or 4 days temps have gone down to the 40's and highs in the 60's and 70's. Today it is close to 85, and I noticed a couple of flowers or blossoms, about 4 in the same spot on the tree. Why is the tree blossoming? and should I do something? will it kill the tree, since we will have a winter eventually, with several days below freezing. I did check and our cold temp days coincides with that type of apple tree (needs something like 300 hours under 32 degrees), I may be off with the exact terminology. Can anyone assist me?

I'd suggest you check with your localcounty agent they should be knowledgable about your tree in your area.

And, no, it's not a good thing to have your tree blossoming just before winter sets in ....

Blossoming out of season will not hurt the tree. When to see first fruit depends on the rootstock of the tree, ie dwarf, semi-dwarf or standard. Generally, semi-dwarf will take 4-5 years to fruit. Then there is the issue of pollination - apples need an approprite pollinator - another apple that has viable pollen at the same time your tree is blooming. Then, there are chill requirements - are apples generally fruitful where you live? If there is not enough cold in the winter, many apples will not bear fruit even though the tree survives. Then, do you have sufficient pollinating insects?

Unless of course there's a hard freeze while there's still significant sap in the wood, ah, the sound of maple trees exploding in the spring. Up north the trees pretty well go dormant for the winter. Down here with our on-again, off-again winter (90 one day, 30 the next) most trees aren't sure whether it's winter or not.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but that's supposed to be 300 hours consistently below freezing, isn't it. Down here I couldn't put 72 hours at freezing ....
And answer Amy questions, would ya!

My afternoons get taken away between Miya and hubby, so mornings and until 3 or 4 pm and then night time after 9 pm I'm here. Sorry, and I do need help.

Ok, I did the research and generally our climate is ok for apples, we get about 300 chill hours in the winter, got info from online Texas ag agent. No I don't see too many apple trees here, but our weather is somewhat similar to say mid Georgia. I got the info before buying, btw. We get ice storms a lot, which end up skating rinks, so Al although you're in Texas too, we are in an area that I would call the freeze zone, below freezing for sure at night December, January and February, and possibly parts of November and March. Day time is iffy, many days below freezing, but other days above.

Root stock is a semi dwarf, I believe expected height of 15 feet. The trunk is quite thick, and comparing to my peach, which is similar to fruit bearing at 3-5 years, apple would appear to me to be about 3-4 years old. Same with peach it needs about 200 chill hours and this year was the first year it bore fruit, however, it bloomed last year but no fruit, so my deduction with the peach was it was too young and this year it had matured. I know that peaches can self pollinate, and that goldens were the self pollinators, and the pollinators for other apples, this I read. Originally I had a red delicious, smaller trunk but had fruit on it when I bought it. Bought the golden when I discovered that apples are different than peaches in pollinating. The red died, my guess was too much wind, and couldn't handle the effects of watering and wind combined. Read also that excessive wind will trick tree into thinking it's in a drought. Lastly we have insects up the wazoo, lol. Again my peach did fine and we have a lot of bees and other pollinating insects. Also do humming birds pollinate? We have a ton of those too.

Bottom line, is there something I can do, or just let it go and see if it survives? I truly don't understand why this one lived through the summer and the other one didn't. I also hope it makes it, and produces some fruit next year, but if it's blossoming now, will it do it again in the spring, assuming it makes it through the winter? It seems pretty hardy. If you really think i need a second apple tree, I'm going the crab apple route since I know they pollinate all types of apples.

Thank you both for helping and any more help you can give, I don't want it to die, if I can help it. And i think I answered all the questions.

http://homeguides.sfgate.com/pollinizers-golden-delicious-apple-trees-59127.html

Some trees just aren't as vigorous as others - even the same variety on the same rootstock.

If worried you can pluck the blooms off to stop the tree from wasting nutrients on attempting fruit. I have two apple trees that are probably in the 10 year old range, approx. 15 ft tall, and 8 inches in diameter. One is a sweet apple and the other a tart for pies. They pollinate each other and both were frosted on this spring during bloom. The blooms can take frost decently but this late the tree isn't going to be able to produce the apples in time before the freeze hits. I doubt the tree will die. I'm a little more north but our stuff gets fooled into early blooming all the time and then get frosted or froze and still produce, it just takes a little longer. Ours have done much better now that they are sheltered by the privacy fence that protects it from the wind on 3 sides.

Good to know, I'll pluck them then, I certainly want the tree to prepare itself for winter vs trying to produce apples. Amy I'll read the link you provided, and if I have more questions I'll continue the thread. Thank you all for the help.

Amy, interesting, I was right on about the crab apple. I wonder why there is such a disparity on information about the golden and chill hours? The article you gave me said 700, yet the Texas Ag Guide said 400, poo. I know that my area of Texas is a 400 chill hour area, viewed several sites stating such, but if apple trees are not going to produce apples in some form of quantity, I guess I'll have to find different fruit bearing trees that will thrive with the 400.

Do a search for "low-chill" apples. There are some. Peach trees should fruit for you. Dolglo is a good pollinator - don't know the chill hour requirement. It also may depend on the sub-variety of golden delicious.

Thank you Amy, you've been a good help. Peaches I got this year, and the tree is just beautiful, and the peaches were juicy and oh so sweet, was hoping to be as successful with apples. I'll do more research. Thank you again.