This is only my opinion of what is possibly happening and shouldn't be taken as hard fact. I don't like GD, I'm not in zone 10 and chill hours are a non-issue where I am.
But this would give you an idea of something to ask your county extension agent.

GD is for zones 4-9. You're zone 10. Not only is your zone too warm but you have the tree growing in the warmest area you can get (full southern sun).
I bet it's not getting enough chill hours and it's never fully releasing from dormancy.

GD needs around 700 hours of temperature between 32°-45°. Do you get that many? (And I think it has to be close to being continuous, temperatures above 60° are said to removed accumulated chill hours.)
From what I'm finding by searching zone 10 gets 0-400 chill hours.

What you could've done was put it in an area protected from the full southern sun or in a valley where the cold temperatures pool.
If it hasn't grown at all you could move it to such an area.
Without moving it, if you get frost you could mulch it AFTER it frosts so the ground stays cold, and shade the dormant tree with a tarp while you attempt to get the chill hours you need.

If you don't care about the apples why not get a tree more suited to your climate? Seems that would be easier than trying to fool Mother Nature by creating a micro-climate.
(Plus not all apples are that full of leaves, and I think GD is one of those that has an "open" growth habit.)

GD is a rampant grower here, but I have not a clue how it would perform in your location. You have in your local area a chapter of the California Rare Fruit Growers who would be happy to give you local advice. Locate your chapter at www.crfg.org

I have been told that if the soil pH isn't right (6.. - 6.7 ish) that the tree can't uptake nutrients. Have you had any soil tests analyzed? Although myk1's response did make a lot of sense, too.

The most likely reason is lack of water. This could be due to poor soil, not enough irrigation, or too much competition from weeds or nearby large trees. Lack of nutrients is the second most likely cause. If it were lack of chilling you would notice very delayed and sparce foliation in spring. Most apples grow despite lack of chilling.

The fact that you say it is growing in some type potting mix is a warning sign. Is it planted in the ground? What is the native soil like? Was it planted in a bowl of hard clay native soil filled with potting mix?

The Fruitnut

One of my trees wasn't growing so I dug down to look at the roots. It turned out the tree was planted too deeply. Your tree might be too deep or the roots might be constricted in the potting soil you planted it in. Is it in the ground or in a pot? If it is in the ground it is usually best to plant in the native soil without doing anything to it so the roots can travel easily into the soil.

Thank you all for the info.

I got it from my local HD. I was told if the plant is sold in locally and it should grow well locally.
Maybe it is NOT true? We do not have enough chilling hours in winter.

Planted too deep? No, actually its part of the roots are exposured to outside.

Surrounding soil? I digged a big hole and replaced with commercial soil. Since it did not grow, I don't think its rood have spread to the surrounding soil already.

Soil PH? I never checked and I may try to do it.

Anyway, I will remove it and replace it with another fruit tree, or a fragrant tree such as Michelia ALBA in the same spot.

Again, thank you very much!

Wei

Wei

Home Depot? You're lucky if it's even a GD.

I would trust a nursery to sell what grows locally but not a large chain.

Golden Delicious will fruit fine in Zone 10, but will not be at its best (but still better than the store). I suggest a later variety like Fuji or Pink Lady.

As for your present tree, look at the base of the trunk and see if there are grey patches. If so, scrape it with something sharp to see if there is sawdust under the bark; if this is true, you have a borer that has almost girdled the trunk.

On the new tree, paint the trunk white with 50% diluted latex paint to help prevent sunburn and borer attack.

Applenut

The Fruitnut-It is on the ground with potting soil. I checked it today and found it it really very dry. I do regularly water it, every 3-4 days in summer, and it is still dry. That suggests the soil may be not right.

I want to save it and give it another chance (one more year). What kind of the soil do you suggest? Since in the Sunset Western garden says apple needs deep, well-rained soil. That is why I used potting soil.

How can I change the soil and when? What soil?

Applenut-Thank you for you info. I checked truck of the tree today and did not find any damage on it. And the whole tree looks healthy with lots of buds and several leaves.

It is the sane size as I plated it about 4 years ago. There must be something wrong!

I try to save it. can you give me some advise?
BTW, I will get Pink Lady in this winter. Do you have a reliable source for it?

Wei

Wei:

It sounds like your tree hasn't rooted into the native soil. The roots are largely or completely in the potting soil which isn't staying wet long enough.

This winter you need to either dig the tree up and replant it or try to replace the potting soil with something closer to your native soil.

Another alternative that might work is daily drip irrigation. This will keep the potting soil wetter. Also mound some soil up around the trunk. If you could get the scion to root the tree would probably take off.

Just figure out some way to get it the water it needs. Replanting it in native soil is probably the easiest and best unless your soil is really bad.

The Fruitnut

Thanks, The Fruitnut,

I digged it out today and found it only have little brown roots on it. The soil was dry even I deeply watered it yesterday.

I plated it in a 2 G pot with Miracle/Gro Garden soil for plants, fully watered, and placed it on the shade.

If it can survive the saving and I will plate it back to the ground next spring.

Again, thanks a lot!

Wei

It would survive better if you put it in the ground now.

I don't know what your weather is but it's probably more suitable to getting trees established in the fall and winter than in spring and summer.

Thanks for your suggestion-myk1.

Now here So. CA is still summer (85 degrees).

Once it become cooler, say 70 degrees, I will plant it into the ground IF IT IS STILL ALIVE...

From your suggestion, I will plant my Kyoho grape into ground at that time as well.

Wei

I live in zone 10 also - and have two apples here. They aren't growing in the lawn, however.

They are both "low-chill" varieties - one is Dorset Golden, which looks a lot like a Delicious apple in shape, but has a slightly gold/yellow color to it, and I find - much better tasting than the commercial Delicious. It is on it's second year. I fertilize with compost tea - occasionally - not often, and both trees are growing in native soil. I do have good drainage in that area.

The other apple, is called "Anna" and is also "low-chill" and is in the 3rd year. It was slow to produce the first couple of years, but I had a good crop this year, and the apples were excellent. It was slow to come out of hibernation, but when it did, it was very healthy looking.

I would give these "low-chill" varieties about 3 years to establish. I don't water too often - but mulch heavily in summer.

You might like these low-chill types better. I have heard that another apple Ein Scheimer - is also good here - and quite tasty.

My only fault with Anna - is that it mushes up in apple pie, but I cut the pieces big and that seems to help. They also bubble a lot when canning apple sauce - but other than that, I can find no other complaint.

Bejay

wliu:

I agree, it is summer here and can get stinking hot until the end of October. If the tree expires, don't get anxious and get a potted one; wait to purchase a bare-root in late January or February, then get a Fuji or Pink Lady instead. Both will take a few years to get established, but give a ton of high-quality apples reliably every year after that.

Applenut

Hi, the Fruitnut,

Our native soil is clay and alkline.

I planted my apple tree and M ALBA with ALL potting soil without mixing with native soil (what I thought was best dranage of potting soil). So neither of them grow!

This wkend I am going to plant my Kyoho grape into the ground. I will mix native soil with Miracle/Grow Soil for plants and brushes (1:1).

What do you think?

Your advice is much appreciated.

Thanks!

Wei

Hi, the Fruitnut,

Our native soil is clay and alkline.

I planted my apple tree and M ALBA with ALL potting soil without mixing with native soil (what I thought was best dranage of potting soil). So neither of them grow!

This wkend I am going to plant my Kyoho grape into the ground. I will mix native soil with Miracle/Grow Soil for plants and brushes (1:1).

What do you think?

Your advice is much appreciated.

Thanks!

Wei

I'm in a neighborhood that if it had any top soil (I'm barely on the wrong side of where the glacier stopped that pushed a bunch of black dirt here) it was stripped and sold. And then it was terraced so we have hard clay not too deep.

I plant my trees directly in the dirt. The most I do is add some peat moss to help break it up.

Clay isn't bad. It has a ton of nutrients. It's problem is that it doesn't drain and it gets hard when dry.
If you were planting something that doesn't like wet feet I would worry more about it. But for a tree you're not going to change the soil deep enough to make it like it, it will either work or not. About the best you can do for a tree in the wrong soil is give it a location that suits the problems with the soil, like on the top of a hill for a tree that doesn't want wet in clay or the bottom of a hill for a tree that wants wet in sand.

You could probably amend deep enough for grapes, I'm not sure what they like.