Features of growing and caring for the Honey Crisp apple tree

Most gardeners and summer residents start laying a garden by planting apple trees, because this the most widespread and favorite tree in Russia.

Also, most amateur gardeners believe that this is an unpretentious and low-maintenance fruit tree in growing. But you can argue with this, since without knowing the basic rules of planting, care, pruning, storage of crops and other subtleties, it is simply impossible to get good harvests.

Improper planting and care will lead to the fact that the apple tree will grow poorly (not grow, but suffer), without fighting diseases and pests, you can even be left without a crop. By neglecting the basic rules of pruning, you can grow branches and leaves rather than apples.

History of creation

American breeders from the Center for Horticultural Research at the University of Minnesota developed this variety back in 1960, starting to create a new product, scientists set themselves the task of creating a variety that is resistant to the harsh winter conditions of Minnesota. Initially, it was believed that the parental forms were Honeygold, obtained in 1930 from a cross between Golden Delicious and Haralson) and Mekaun (Macoun). But subsequently (in 2004) DNA analysis refuted these claims. From now on, the parents of Honey Crisp are considered to be Keepsake and another, unknown variety (code name MN 1627). But the great-grandmothers of the apple tree MN 1627, further research identified the same Golden Delicious and the Duchess of Oldenburg, or Duchess of Oldenburg (which we call simply Borovinka and belongs to folk selection, has been known since the end of the 18th century). Well, how can you not remember Santa Barbara! Honey Crisp appeared in the open spaces of the commercial market in early 1990 and immediately declared itself quite loudly. Many call it a club variety.

In recent years, in America, as well as throughout the world, it has become fashionable to look for traces of GMOs in all commercially successful fruits and vegetables. This question did not pass by our hero either. But, as scientists have proved, it has nothing to do with GMOs, but is a solid hybrid obtained by natural pollination.

How to choose seedlings

One- and two-year-old trees are most suitable for planting. It is immediately necessary to make a choice on which rootstock the grafting was performed. Fitting and further care depends on this. By external examination, you need to make sure that the plant is healthy, does not have damage to the crown and roots. The best option is seedlings with a closed root system.

When ordering seedlings from European nurseries, you need to know that there this variety is known as Honeycrunch and is zoned for regions with cool summers.

Testimonials

RUcthere.

In my garden there is one tree of the Honey Crisp variety, which bore fruit for the first year. About 20 fruits, 250 g each, were set, partially ripe apples fell off. The taste seemed too sweet.

Andrew.

The variety surprises not only with its taste, but also with its huge fruits. We have several trees in our garden on dwarf rootstocks. Some fruits weigh almost 550 g, the remaining 90% - 150-250 g. The yield did not decrease even in dry years. They tolerate winters well, survived lows down to -33 ° C. We store the harvest until May. The apples are crispy and juicy.

Gardeners reviews

"This is by far the most difficult strain I have ever grown," says Bruce Allen, president of the Columbia Reach Pack in Yakima, WA, "but I will continue to grow it because it is the most profitable strain."

Russian gardeners are not so categorical. They note such a lack of an apple tree as a defeat by bitter pitting, but have learned to deal with it by regularly spraying with a calcium solution.

Another significant problem for commercial production is the thin skin of the Honey Crunch fruit, which can be easily damaged if the harvest is inaccurate. But this is also easy to solve, especially if Honey Crisp grafted onto a dwarf stock. The fruits are not plucked from the branch, but carefully trimmed, with a stalk of at least 1.5-2 cm in length.

If we summarize the reviews of the owners of this apple tree in Russia, then their comments will boil down to the following: “Don't be greedy. Do not skimp on labor and feeding. Don't try to harvest too early. Do not skimp on treatments for diseases and pests. Make sure you know and understand the optimal growing and storage regimes for Honeycrisp. And then you can taste the most delicious apple in the world. And you will enjoy it all winter long. We saw in Honey Crisp everything that we appreciated in other varieties separately: crunch, sweetness, taste, juiciness, visual appeal. "

By what names is our hero known?

The most common name for the variety is Honeycrisp, or Honey Crisp, which translates as honey crunch or honey freshness. This is what the apple tree is called in the USA. For the European Union, the novelty was patented as Honey Crunch, or Honey Crunch. In the State Register of Breeding Achievements of Russia, our hero is registered in 2020 as Honeikrisp. Applicant and originator of Sady Belogorya LLC. The admission region is the Central Black Earth District. And in Belarus, the name was changed to Arnabel. It is under this name that the crop was included in the National Register of Varieties for Cultivation in Belarus in 2020.

Breeding history of the variety

This apple variety was created in the early 60s of the last century by American breeders at the agricultural experimental station of the University of Minnesota (USA) as a result of crossing two varieties: Macoun and Honeygold.

In 2020, "Honeikrisp" was officially registered in the State Register of the Russian Federation as zoned and recommended for cultivation in the Central Black Earth Region. The variety is successfully cultivated in commercial gardens and personal gardens in many southern regions of our country. High winter hardiness, unique appearance and taste of the fruits made this apple tree popular not only in industrial plantings in North America, but also in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.

Care

Honey Crisp loves moisture very much, so it needs to be watered regularly. You also need to ensure that the near-barrel space is clean. If weeding is carried out regularly, this will certainly lead to an improvement in the structure of the soil, the amount of minerals will increase, and nitrogen will not be washed out as intensively. Watering the apple tree is necessary at least once every 2 weeks. It is imperative to carry out rationing of the ovaries, as this will avoid the periods of rest of the apple tree, that is, it will bring every year.

After 10 days, you need to feed the apple tree with calcium. This will help to avoid excessive amounts of subcutaneous spotting, which in turn leads to a decrease in the quality of the fruit. Calcium is applied by spraying. Also, the harvested crop can be treated with a calcium solution, thus you can achieve a better appearance of apples during storage.

The first pruning is done in April. In this case, several main skeletal branches are left, and the weakened ones are removed with a pruner. The left branches are shortened by a third of their length.

Plant care

In cultivation, Honey Crisp is unpretentious, therefore, if the planting technology is followed, the subsequent care of the tree will not take much time.

Video: Honey Crisp apple variety

Watering the apple tree

Novice gardeners, having no experience in growing fruit trees, tend to water them in the same way as garden beds - often and little by little.In fact, such a regime is completely unsuitable for the garden and, at best, leads to unnecessary loss of water and stimulates the growth of weeds, at worst it dries out the root system and ruins the young tree.

You need to water the apple tree no more than 3-4 times a year. Until the tree bears fruit, two mandatory waterings are performed at the beginning and end of the season, and another 1-2 in the summer, when it becomes especially hot and dry.

Did you know? Apple was not only used by Steve Jobs as a logo and corporate name. So, back in 1968 (8 years before the emergence of the famous American corporation), the legendary group "The Beatles" created a record company with the same name, and Jobs was later ordered by the court to pay the "Beatles apple" 80 thousand dollars in compensation for copyright infringement.

Spring watering is needed to stimulate the growth of young shoots, autumn watering is needed to fill air voids in the soil and prevent the root system from freezing.

For adult trees, in addition to autumn and spring, one more watering is needed during the laying of fruits, while additional soil moisture in dry weather is not necessary: ​​the apple tree root system is quite capable of extracting water from the deep layers of the soil.

When watering an apple tree, you should always follow these rules:

1. Use plenty of water. The fulfillment of this condition is fully compensated for by rare watering. For one tree, you need to spend as many buckets of water as it has meters in height, while in the fall the given parameter is increased by at least one and a half times.
2. The water should not be chlorinated and cold. If there is no system for supplying the site with "technical" water, tap water should be poured into buckets and exposed to the sun until it warms up properly.
3. After watering, the land must be loosened and cleaned of weeds. It is even better to use the method of mulching the trunk circle, which allows you to keep moisture in the soil longer and prevent weeds from filling the trunk circle.
4. When fertilizing - both by root and foliar method (according to the leaf) - the apple tree must be watered first, otherwise top dressing will do more harm than good.

Video: how to properly water fruit trees in autumn

Fertilization

Another common mistake inexperienced gardeners make is the overuse of fertilizing. Of course, a complete ignorance of fertilizers is also wrong, but it is to an excess of minerals, especially when their balance and timing are violated, that the apple tree reacts especially painfully.

It is best to enrich the soil around the trunk circle with organic matter in the fall, for digging, by putting humus or compost in the ground in an amount of 10-15 kg.

Important! The nutrients introduced into the soil at the time of planting the seedling should be enough for the tree for 1-2 years, so during this period additional feeding is not needed.

Mineral fertilizers are applied to the soil according to the following scheme:

• nitrogen (ammonium nitrate, urea, ammonium sulfate, etc.) - in the spring;
• phosphate fertilizers (superphosphate, phosphate rock) - in the fall;
• potash fertilizers (potash salt, wood ash, potassium chloride) - in the fall.

During the period of autumn feeding, you can also use complex potassium-phosphorus fertilizers, such as potassium monophosphate or a phosphorus-potassium mixture "Autumn", where, in addition to these two elements, additional calcium, magnesium and boron are present.

For convenience, foliar fertilization can be combined with preventive treatment against diseases and pests, which is carried out twice a season - in spring and after harvest. This option is so effective that some drugs have the property of both enriching the tree with the necessary mineral element, and inhibiting the development of pathogens or pests.

For example, urea is a nitrogen fertilizer with an insecticidal effect, and copper or ferrous sulfate, in addition to strengthening the immune system of the apple tree iron and copper, are proven fungicides.

The approximate amount of mineral fertilizers for one Honey Crisp tree at the age of 3 to 6 years:

• urea (urea) - 26 g;
• ammonium nitrate - 36 g;
• potassium salt - 30 g;
• superphosphate - 80 g.

The feeding of the Honey Crisp apple tree must necessarily include such an element as calcium. The fact is that apples of this variety, as already mentioned, have an unpleasant tendency to form spots under their skin during long-term storage, which not only spoils the external attractiveness of the fruit, but also adds bitterness to their taste.

Important! Exceeding the recommended dose of calcium fertilizers, especially with root dressing, disturbs the acid-base balance of the soil and leads to improper assimilation of other mineral elements by the tree. In particular, the amount of molybdenum consumed by the apple tree in this case increases, while boron, iron and manganese, on the contrary, are in short supply.

To prevent the occurrence of such a problem, measures such as:

• the introduction of dolomite flour or slaked lime into the ground in spring;
• carrying out several sprays with an interval of 10 days of pouring fruits with calcium nitrate, Brexil calcium or other calcium-containing fertilizers.

In addition to organic and mineral fertilizers, it is very useful to pay attention to special modern preparations aimed at improving the natural biological composition of the soil. They can be used much more often without fear of overdose, however, the use of such funds simultaneously with the introduction of organic matter will be especially effective.

Among the most famous biological products for soil, it is worth mentioning:

• "Biohumus";
• "Economics Bioconstructor";
• "The economy is fruitful";
• "Shining-1";
• "Baikal EM1".

Crown pruning

Honey Crisp's formative pruning should be started as early as the next year after planting, and if the seedling was planted in the fall, then after a year and a half. In early spring, the top of the trunk is shortened at the stem, which should stimulate the formation of skeletal branches. All shoots growing below the grafting site, as well as up to a height of 80–100 cm from the ground, are recommended to be removed.

The next year, all the shoots of the last year are cut off, leaving 2/3 of their original length. Branches directed towards the inside of the crown, interfering with each other or growing at a very acute angle to the trunk, are also removed.

In the future, the final formation of the skeleton of the tree takes place. For this, a sparse-tiered system is best suited, which presupposes the preservation of several branches directed in different directions in tiers at different levels from the ground, so that a sufficient amount of free (bare) space remains between different "floors".

An approximate diagram of the formation of the crown of the Honey Crisp apple tree may look like this:

After the crown is formed, the annual pruning of the apple tree changes its focus on sanitary and involves only the removal of dead, damaged and interfering shoots.

After the tree reaches its maximum size and begins to reduce its yield, it can be rejuvenated by shortening all the shoots by the same length.

Preparing for winter

In general, Honey Crisp has a high frost resistance, and even rather severe winters it tolerates quite tolerably. In order to minimize the risk of freezing of the tree, first of all, it is necessary to properly care for it in the summer.

In particular, the immunity, and, consequently, the winter hardiness of the variety depends on:

• the health of the tree, in particular, the degree of damage to it by diseases and pests;
• balanced watering (waterlogging of the soil can lead to decay of the roots and destroy the tree, however, a lack of moisture can also greatly weaken the apple tree);
• the intensity of fruiting (it is quite difficult to "feed" a bountiful harvest for an apple tree, especially a young one, therefore experienced gardeners always regulate the number of fruits at the stage of their laying);
• the age of the tree (young seedlings are much less protected from frost than adult apple trees).

Did you know? Fruit setting takes 15 times more nutrients from the tree than the growth of branches and leaves.

If the apple tree grew and developed in optimal conditions for it and was not overloaded with an excessive harvest, there is no need for special preparation of the tree for winter. The only exceptions are young seedlings, especially if they are grown in the northern regions. In late autumn, it is advisable to wrap them with burlap along the entire height, and cover the trunk circle with a dense layer of warming mulch - peat or humus.

Video: sheltering an apple tree for the winter

Description

According to the description of the State Register, the plant is medium-growing, other sources describe it as fast-growing. The tree is medium-sized, according to some information its height reaches 3 - 4 m. The crown is narrow oval, medium thickened. Skeletal branches are straight-growing, short, of medium strength, branch off from the trunk at an angle close to a straight line, and are compactly located. The ends of the shoots are directed upwards. The shoots are pubescent, the bark is light brown, with a greenish tint. Lentils are light, round, convex, numerous. Shoot-forming ability is average. Leaves are medium in size, green, ovate-elongated, long-pointed tip, rounded base, serrated edges obtusely serrate. The surface of the leaf blade is smooth, shiny, the nerve is rough. The petiole is ordinary, uncolored. Stipules subulate. The type of fruiting is mixed.

The fruits are large or very large, beautiful, bright. According to the State Register, the weight is 170 g, according to other sources - 180 - 260 g. Fruits are one-dimensional, rounded-conical, slightly elongated, regular in shape, sometimes slightly asymmetric. The surface is smooth, slightly ribbed. The funnel is blunt-conical, of medium depth and width, without traces of rustiness. The saucer is deep, of medium width and depth. The calyx is closed, sometimes half-open. The seed chambers are small, closed. The peduncle is rather short, but not thick, erect. The skin is not thick, smooth, shiny, covered with a waxy coating of low intensity. The main color is greenish-yellow, the integumentary color takes up most of the fruit in the form of an orange-red blush with red strokes. There are many subcutaneous points, but due to their small size and grayish color, they are not very striking. The pulp is pleasant creamy color or light yellow, dense, prickly, fine-grained consistency, tender and very juicy, slightly aromatic. Many people note that when biting an apple, a pleasant characteristic crunch is heard, which is the hallmark of the variety. The taste is sweet and sour, very harmonious, rich and refreshing. Assessment of tasters from 4.5 (State Register) to 5.0 (other sources) points. There is information that sourness is more manifested in the taste in cool regions, but this does not make the taste worse.

If you lay out the inner content of the fruit on the shelves, then 100 g of pulp accumulates: dry matter 13.8%, sugar 14.9%, vitamin C 2.3 mg. In addition, the pulp contains: vitamin A, calcium, iron, potassium, boron. On average, one Honey Crisp apple contains about 80 calories.

Description of the variety with photo

Honey crisp is an excellent winter variety. Begins to bear fruit in the fourth year. A young six-year-old tree gives up to 9 kg of apples, an adult - 23. The flowering period is average, the duration is long. Ripening period - October.Low-growing trees with a mixed type of fruiting, pollinated by varieties: Everest, Goden Delicious, Idared, Askold, Ruddy climber, Granddaughter.

In a young tree, the crown is narrow, oval, after entering the season of stable fruiting, it is oval, wide with strong short branches, not thickened. The angle between the skeletal rami and the central conductor is acute. The height of mature trees is 3 meters, they grow quickly.

The thickness of the shoots is average, the color is yellowish-brown. They are straight with pubescence and long, rounded lenticels. Medium-sized buds adhere strongly to the shoots, are colored brown. The green leaves are small, shiny with a characteristic bluish tint. The shape of the plate is ovoid with a leathery pubescent surface, a pointed tip drooping down and wavy, serrated edges.

Fruit

The fruits are large, one-dimensional, weighing 220-250 g. The shape is rounded-conical, elongated, sometimes asymmetrical. The main color is yellow-green, light. Blush, blurred, orange-red with noticeable streaks and dull red spots, covers most of the fruit (80%).

The pulp is juicy, creamy yellow, bites off with a crunch, contains a lot of juice. The taste of the fruit earned a score of 5 points, it is sweet and sour. The skin is smooth, medium in thickness, slightly shiny, white subcutaneous dots are translucent.

The appearance of the fruits is beautiful, they reach technical ripeness in the 20th of September, consumer - in the first decade of November. Apples keep well in the refrigerator for up to 7 months. Transportation does not affect the presentation.

During storage, infection is possible, subcutaneous spotting affects. Apples are eaten fresh. The main characteristics are winter hardiness and disease resistance above average. The variety has shown itself well in relation to pathogens of scab and powdery mildew. The variety was bred in the state of Minnesota, this determined its good winter hardiness, it can be grown in many Russian regions.

Advantages of the variety

Experienced gardeners and farmers from different countries name among the indisputable advantages of the variety:

• beautiful presentation of apples, their large size and excellent taste;
• transportability and keeping quality of fruits;
• regular productivity and high early maturity of trees;
• resistance to frost and drought, low susceptibility to the most common fungal diseases (powdery mildew and scab).

Timely harvested crop tolerates transportation and long-term storage well
These properties of the culture are also confirmed by domestic experts, recommending "Honeyscript" for wide distribution for commercial purposes - intensive cultivation and industrial processing.

Apple tree Hani (Honey) Crisp

The Hani (Honey) Crisp apple tree belongs to late-ripening, winter varieties of high-yielding apples. This is a very popular variety of winter apple trees in the USA, Canada and Western Europe, and since the late 90s of the last century, it has taken its rightful place in the gardens of gardeners - fans of Russia and the CIS.

Dessert sweet - sour taste of fruits with crispy pulp, which is a distinctive feature of the variety, fully corresponds to the literal translation from the English name of the variety "Honey Crunch". Crispy, as if splitting off when biting, the flesh is a distinctive feature of this variety, his business card.

Honey Crisp's pulp is very crunchy and juicy.

Important! When apples are stored for 6 months, the hardness of the fruit is preserved.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

To the merits Honey Crisp varieties include the following indicators:

• Early maturity of trees;
• Winter hardiness;
• Very beautiful presentation of the fruit, along with large-fruited and excellent taste;
• The fruits tolerate transportation well, do not lose their presentation;
• Long shelf life of apples (more than 6 months);
• Good resistance of the variety to fungal diseases.

Disadvantages:

• During storage, fruits are exposed to subcutaneous spotting;
• Tendency to shedding fruits when overloaded with crops.

Tree height

Honey Crisp variety, medium vigor, tall 3-4 meters. Growing apple trees on low-growing (dwarf or semi-dwarf) rootstocks is preferable, since the height of trees does not exceed 2.5 m on dwarf and 3.5 m on semi-dwarf rootstocks.

Five-year-old Honeycrisp apple tree on M9 rootstock.

This is very convenient for tree maintenance (easier to cut, less chemical consumption during processing) and harvesting.

Crown width

At the beginning of its development, the apple tree seedling has a narrow pyramidal shape. The trees grow intensively for the first 3-4 years after planting, from the age of five, the growth rate decreases and the crown becomes broadly oval.

Attention! The shoot-forming ability of Honey Crisp is high, this must be taken into account when choosing the type of crown and its formation.

Yield

Large fruits weighing 180-250 grams slightly elongated, elongated, slightly flattened light green with a marbled red blush almost over the entire surface. The pulp is dense, yellow - creamy, juicy. The skin of the fruit is dense, smooth with a slight sheen. The apples are fragrant, sweet with a slight sourness.

Honey Crisp Apple.

Fruit tasting score 4.8 points. The yield of a six-year-old tree is 6-9 kg.

Frost resistance

Honey Crisp belongs to frost-resistant varieties and can withstand frosts down to -35 ° С... When growing apple trees, it should be remembered that frost resistance decreases:

• After abundant fruiting;
• If young immature trees are overloaded with fruits;
• If during the growing season there was a strong damage to apple trees by diseases and pests, which greatly weakened them;
• From lack of moisture in the soil in dry years.

Disease resistance

The variety is resistant to the main fungal diseases: practically not affected by scab, resistance to powdery mildew is average.

But many gardeners carry out preventive spraying in order to avoid diseases, since in the presence of these diseases, crop loss can be up to 50%.

The defeat of the apple tree with powdery mildew.

When affected by powdery mildew, a dense white bloom covers shoots, leaves, fruits. Infection of trees with scab is manifested in the appearance of oily spots on the leaves, which subsequently darken, located on the upper side of the leaf. The fruits stop growing, dark gray spots and cracks form on them.

Advice! For prophylaxis and treatment, trees are treated in the phase of separation of buds, then immediately after flowering and the third treatment after another 10 days with such preparations as:

• Fundazol,
• Raek,
• Speed,
• Strobe,
• Guardian,
• Tiovit Jet.

Watch a video review of the Honey Crisp apple tree:

Characteristics

• The excellent early maturity of the Honeycrisp apple tree allows impatient gardeners to get a real harvest already for 2 or 3 years (however, on the 54-118 rootstock it begins to bear fruit only in the 4th year). But the first flowering can begin in the spring after planting. Experienced gardeners recommend removing the color so that the plant will put all its strength into development;
• flowering takes place in medium terms. Our hero blooms for a rather long period. According to some testimonies, recurrent frosts are not terrible for flowers;
• in terms of ripening, the State Register classifies the variety as winter species. Removable ripeness begins at the end of September, but under favorable weather conditions, harvesting will be possible around the middle of the month. The consumption period starts at the beginning of November, as the apples have to mature;
• the harvest is harvested in several passes, since the fruits ripen at different times. If for some reason the harvest does not have time to be harvested, there is no need to worry, ripe fruits are well attached to the branches. But shedding does happen sometimes. The reason, oddly enough, is in good knotting.In one inflorescence, 3 or 4 fruits can be set. Due to the short stalk and large size, the developing apples become cramped, and they begin to push out the neighboring fruit;
• the yield is declared high. This is confirmed by the use of the variety for laying industrial gardens. By the age of four or five, the tree already yields about 10.0 kg of selected apples. The yield only increases every year. According to the State Register, the average yield per hectare is 99.9 centners;
• since the main requirement for the created variety was sufficient frost resistance, then our hero has everything in order with this indicator. The tree perfectly withstands a drop in winter temperatures to minus 30 ° C, there is evidence that even at minus 35 ° C the apple tree does not experience problems and comes out of wintering well. The State Register estimates this indicator as average, while gardeners, on the contrary, praise it for good resistance to low temperatures. Some sources cite reviews of gardeners from Ufa and Mordovia, where Honey Crisp develops and bears fruit normally. Also at the Michurinsky Institute experiments were carried out on the artificial freezing of culture. The apple tree withstood temperatures down to minus 40 ° C. With a further decrease, the crust was severely damaged, but the cambium remained alive;
• drought resistance and heat resistance according to the State Register is also estimated at an average level;

• immunity is not bad, but it cannot be called excellent. The variety is resistant to scab. But powdery mildew can get sick, especially the ends of young shoots are often affected. In addition, apples suffer greatly from bitter pitting, which affects the fruit already in the process of ripening. The big disadvantage of Honeycrisp is that during the formation of the crop, the plant will have to be treated with calcium preparations at least 10 times in order for the fruits to ripen healthy;
• of the pests, the moth can bring the greatest damage;
• problems with transportability can also arise, since dents can form on the surface of the fruit during transportation, which shorten the shelf life. Therefore, the crop should not be moved in bulk, but each apple should be packed separately;
• but in terms of keeping quality, our hero is a real champion. The harvest will lie in special storage facilities for 6 - 7 months. At the same time, its juicy pulp does not soften, both crunchiness and taste are fully preserved;
• the method of consumption is primarily in natural form. The harmonious taste and crunchy flesh make the fruit an excellent dessert that can be paired with cheese, nuts and even vegetables such as cabbage or daikon. If desired, you can make jam, jam, fruit puree, filling for baking from apples.

Features of ripening and fruiting

The beginning of fruiting

Honey Crisp refers to early ripening varieties of apples... On a medium-sized rootstock, fruiting occurs in the fourth year after landing... Growing on a dwarf or semi-dwarf plant accelerates the onset of fruiting, the tree can begin to produce crops as early as the second year after planting. The life expectancy of medium-sized apple trees is 30-40 years, and of low-growing ones, 15.

Honey Crisp begins to bear fruit in the fourth year.

Timing

Flowering

The flowering time of the Honey Crisp apple tree depends on the place of cultivation and the air temperature. At a stable temperature of +15 - + 22 ° С, the trees are ready for flowering. In the southern regions, flowering begins from mid-April, in a temperate climatic zone in the beginning of May. The bloom is stretched and lasts from 6 to 18 days.

TIP! In order to avoid damage to flowers by the apple flower beetle during the budding period, trees must be sprayed with any of the drugs:

• Karbofos,
• Fufanon,
• Inta-Vir,
• Spark.

Fruit ripening

Honey Crisp apple variety belongs to winter varieties of apples... The fruits begin ripen in September... Apples must be removed from the tree knowing exactly that they are ripe.

There are two ways to do this: ripe apples are easily separated from fruit twigs or by the degree of ripeness of seeds. The seeds should be brown.

Harvesting is done gradually, first from the edge of the branches and upper branches, then closer to the trunk and lower branches. The fruits are sorted out and put in boxes, overlapping with layers of paper.

Watch a video of what the ripe Honey Crisp apples look like:

Fruit storage

Honey Crisp belongs to late-ripening varieties, the harvested crop is stored in cool conditions for 6-7 months... In order to avoid large losses of fruits during storage, they must be periodically inspected and damaged ones removed. The storage temperature should be between 0- + 5 ° С (optimally about 0 ° C) and humidity 85-90%.

The Honey Crisp crop can be stored for up to 7 months.

The fruits are consumed not only fresh, they suitable for processing into juice, jam, preparation of dried fruits and pastilles.

Diseases and pests

Honey Crisp apples have one peculiarity: dark spots may appear under the skin of the fruit. They spoil the taste of apples. It is important to spray in the spring in order to protect the fruits from this disease. To do this, it is necessary to add lime or dolomite flour in the spring, and after the formation of the fruits, periodically add potassium.

Fruit crop immunity is present, and it is quite high. Fungal diseases are very rare. But at the same time, it is still necessary to carry out preventive treatments in the spring. For them, you can use copper preparations or Fundazol.

It is necessary to carry out comprehensive protection from pests throughout the season:

• along the green cone;
• after flowering;
• after harvest.

If pests appear during the ripening of the fruits, they also need to be dealt with. It is better to use folk methods. All chemicals penetrate the fetus and can accumulate there, so their use is undesirable.

Growing features

For higher yields, plant the apple tree next to other varieties. Good pollinators are: Idared, Askolda, Golden Delicious, Everest and others blooming in the same period. Before entering fruiting, care for Honey Crisp is the same as for any seedling. Basically, this is watering and crown formation according to the principle usual for a tree - one trunk and 5-6 skeletal branches.

Honey Crisp apple tree on dwarf rootstock

The classic treatment for Honey Crisp

If in your area there are frosts below -35 ⁰C, then in the spring you need to carefully inspect the trunk and skeletal branches. Due to freezing of the bark, cracks can form and gum flow can begin. If you find wounds, clean them up to healthy wood, disinfect with a solution of copper sulfate (10 g per 1 liter of water) and cover with garden varnish. Cut off frozen branches.

Activities that need to be carried out in the spring, before bud break or on a green cone and during the budding period:

• spraying with an insecticide solution (Karbofos, Iskra, etc.) from pests that feed on buds, delicate greens and buds;
• treatment for diseases, Honey Crisp is resistant to them, so you can do with prophylactic spraying with a solution of the biological product Fitosporin;
• watering and feeding with nitrogen-containing fertilizers, these two agricultural practices can be combined: first fill the irrigation groove or hole with clean water, when it is absorbed - with liquid fertilizer (solution of urea, ammonium nitrate or nitroammofoska) and again with clean water.

Continue pest control in the summer. Immediately after flowering and 1-2 more times with an interval of 10 days, treat with insecticides against leaf-eating pests and moths. During the period of fruit filling, one more watering is needed, combined with root feeding, but already with fertilizers containing potassium, phosphorus and trace elements.

Video: how and what to feed fruit trees

Agrotechnics

Planting the Honey Crisp apple tree can be carried out in spring and autumn, however, spring planting, especially in a warm region, will require more frequent watering. The most suitable stock is M9. In order for the apples to pick up more sugar, the crown should be as illuminated as possible, so choose a well-lit area, protected from the wind from the north side. Such a cozy corner will be more often visited by pollinating insects, which is an undoubted advantage for our variety. Soils are suitable for highly structured, fertile, for example, chernozem, loam. Sandy loam is also suitable, but on it the plant will need to increase the dose of fertilizers applied and provide regular watering. Usually, watering is carried out as needed, taking into account natural precipitation. Ideally, the soil in the trunk circle should be moderately moist. During feeding, you should not get carried away with nitrogen-containing fertilizers - in large quantities or at the wrong time, they can cause shedding of fruits. A mandatory technique that allows you to form a large-fruited crop is rationing, which is carried out at the stage of natural shedding of the ovary. If you do not carry out this procedure, then the strength of the apple tree is gradually depleted, which can lead to periodicity in fruiting. The rest of the culture care is no different from the usual.

The beautiful apple tree Honey Crisp, despite the fact that it belongs to the club varieties, quickly spread throughout the countries in which the crop is grown. She also did not pass by Russia, where she became a real sensation. After all, rare domestic apple trees can argue with an American woman regarding taste and storage duration. The frost resistance of the variety allows it to be cultivated even in cool regions, as evidenced by gardeners. Another attractive quality is early maturity, however, the rootstock influences the speed of entry into fruiting. The need for prophylactic treatments and calcium dressings complicates plant care somewhat. In addition, a prerequisite for high productivity is crop rationing. But, despite these shortcomings, our hero is considered one of the leading varieties in the world, and very promising for Russia, especially for regions with a temperate and warm climate.

Description of the variety

Honey Crisp is grown on medium and dwarf rootstocks. The crown of a young tree up to four years old has a narrow oval shape, with age it becomes wide oval, but remains compact. Due to its frost resistance, the variety can be grown in the middle lane and Siberia. The apple tree tolerates low temperatures down to -35 ⁰C.

Against the background of many varieties, Honey Crisp compares favorably with high resistance to fungal diseases, in particular, even in damp years it does not get sick with scab and powdery mildew. Excessive yields can lead to rest in the next year, that is, there is a periodicity. It begins to bear fruit on medium-sized rootstocks in the fourth year, on dwarf ones - in the second. A stalk grafted into the crown of an adult apple tree will bloom the next year.

Video: garden with Honey Crisp during the flowering and fruiting periods

The subtleties of landing Honey Crisp

• Time. Early spring or late autumn, when the growing season of the tree stops (the buds have not blossomed or the leaves have already fallen off). But if you live in the north, it is better to plant Honey Crisp in the spring - in the fall she may not have time to take root until the cold weather. And if your seedling is in a container (closed root system), you can plant it even in late spring, even in summer (but still not in extreme heat).
• Pit. Its depth is from 50 cm, width is about a meter. Before planting a seedling, put food inside - mineral fertilizer or humus. It is worth digging a hole a month before planting, so that the earth inside settles well.

When planting, make sure that the graft site is not in the ground - if you bury it, the apple tree may refuse to bloom next season.

Immediately upon planting, a support (peg) is stuck into the ground, to which the tree is tied. Some gardeners do this later, but sticking the stake later can miss the calculation and damage the root.

The seedling is immediately watered well (pouring at least 2 buckets under the trunk), and the near-stem section is mulched.

Landing features

For Honey Crisp, you need to find on the site the most illuminated and sun-warmed place, protected at the same time from the wind, especially from the north.

The second important condition is the inadmissibility of swampy soil or high groundwater flow (the minimum permissible parameters are 1.5 m from the earth's surface, the maximum is 3.5 m).

The soil for the normal development of an apple tree needs fertile, loose, porous, light and water-absorbing, with a neutral or slightly acidic reaction. Chernozem, loam, sandy loam are well suited; alumina, red earth, salt marsh, peat bog, and podzolic soils are poor.

Optimum requirements for the chemical composition of the soil:

Having chosen a suitable place for planting, you can start preparing the pit. Its depth should be about 80 cm, approximately the same diameter should be made. The earth extracted from the pit is divided into two fractions - upper and lower.

For planting, you can use only the upper fertile layer, having previously improved its structure and enriched with organic and mineral additives, in particular:

• humus or compost - at least 20-30 liters;
• biohumus - 200-300 ml;
• wood ash - 500 ml;
• peat or sand - 5 liters;
• superphosphate - 150-200 ml.

The finished pit must stand for at least two weeks, so that useful soil microflora can settle in it.

During this time, you can start purchasing a seedling. For a better result, experts advise purchasing not a one-year, but a two-year-old Hani Crisp sapling: it is noticed that at this age the tree quickly forms a strong root system.

Important! Apple tree seedlings should always be purchased only in specialized nurseries, especially when it comes to an elite variety of American selection. In order for the tree to take root, the nursery should be chosen as close as possible to the area where it will be planted.

The landing technology itself involves the following actions:

1. Loosen the soil at the bottom of the pit.
2. Pour a certain amount of soil mixture into the pit, paddle it towards the center in the form of a cone.
3. Fasten a peg at the bottom of the pit, which will serve as a support for the seedling during the first years of life.
4. Place the seedling next to the peg by grafting to the south (this orientation is considered generally accepted, since in nurseries the seedlings are grafted precisely from the south side, thus, the tree will not change its placement in relation to the cardinal points, and, therefore, it will more easily transfer the stress from the transplant).
5. Spread the roots of the tree along the slopes of the cone.
6. While holding the seedling in an upright position (two people will be needed to complete the work), carefully start filling the hole. In the process of work, the tree must be pulled up a little from time to time so that the earth fills the entire volume of air around the roots, leaving no voids.
7. Having brought the amount of soil to a level that does not reach 5–6 cm to the root collar, it is good to compact the soil.
8. Water the pit generously with slightly warmed water (40–50 l) and let it soak.
9. Top up the soil, leveling the level of the root collar with the surface, or lay a layer of peat over the entire area as mulch.
10. Tie a tree to a peg.

When planting Honey Crisp, it must be remembered that this variety is not self-fertile, therefore, to get a good harvest, the tree will need pollinators that bloom at the same time as Honey Crisp, and located within a radius of no more than 50 m from the tree.

The generally recognized pollinators for Honey Crunch are the following varieties:

• Granddaughter;
• Askold;
• Golden Delicious;
• Idared;
• Everest;
• Gloucester.

Important! The seedling begins to bear fruit at different times after planting, depending on the rootstock used. On a medium-sized rootstock, the first crop can be harvested in the fourth year after planting, but if the variety is grafted onto a dwarf rootstock or onto an adult tree, then the fruits appear on it after two years.

As for the timing of planting, then two options are possible here - mid-spring or mid-autumn. Since we are talking about a rather rare variety, it is easier to acquire it in the fall, however, for spring planting, the seedling must be added in a special way, risking the loss of its viability.

It is best to plant a tree immediately after purchase, and adherents of spring planting can only be advised to order and pay for a seedling in the fall, having agreed with the manufacturer that he should keep the tree until spring.

Reproduction methods

There are several ways to propagate an apple tree:

• seedlings;
• cuttings;
• seeds;
• young growth.

The easiest way is to buy a ready-made seedling in the nursery and plant it. The apple tree will begin to bear fruit in the 4th-5th year. This is the fastest way to grow an apple tree.

For grafting, the material is harvested in the fall. It is stored in a cool place until February. Towards the end of February, the seedlings are taken out and planted in the ground at home. Before the onset of heat, they have time to take root. In the spring, the cuttings are transplanted outside.

Seed propagation is very long. First, you will have to germinate the seeds, then grow seedlings for several months. It is better to plant seedlings in open ground one year after sowing the seeds. In the south, seedlings can be planted in the fall. Before the apple tree begins to bear fruit, it will take about 5-6 years. In addition, there is no guarantee that all the seedlings will take root.

Another way is to dig up young growth growing from an adult tree. The bushes are separated from the mother plant and transplanted separately. The disadvantage of this method is that not all bushes retain the characteristics of the mother tree.

Description of the plant, features of fruiting

The trees are medium-sized, with a well-balanced narrow oval crown of medium density. Skeletal branches (with ends directed upwards) are compact and extend from the trunk at almost right angles. Leaves are green, medium, elongated, smooth with a sharp tip. Fruiting is regular, of a mixed type: the crop is formed both on ringlets, and on spears, and at the ends of branches of the vegetative type. Kidney awakening and sprouting can be either moderately active or very high. Trees at a young age hardly need thinning.

When pruning, the crown is given a fusiform shape, well illuminated by the sun. In addition, a well-chosen type of crown of a similar type, supplemented by thinning of the ovaries, allows you to annually receive a considerable amount of large-sized fruits and makes it easier to care for the tree.

The timing of flowering and its duration (from 6 to 18 days) depend on the soil and climatic conditions of the cultivation zone of the variety: in the southern regions, trees bloom in mid-April, and in the middle lane, for example, in the Tambov and Lipetsk regions, in early May.

Productivity and pollinators

Variety "Honeikrisp" is self-fertile, therefore it is required to place pollinating apple trees nearby, for example "Idared", "Golden Delicious", "Granddaughter", "Gloucester".

The trees are early-growing: on the seed stock, they begin to bear fruit in the 4-5th year of growth in the garden. The yield on medium-sized rootstocks is about 100 c / ha... In the south of our country, yields were recorded at the level of 330 c / ha. From one six-year-old tree, 6-9 kg can be harvested, and by ten years the plant brings 60-70 kg. Apple trees on dwarf rootstocks, with competently carried out agricultural technology, form a crop for the 2nd year.

Storage

1. Honey Crisp apples are best stored in a dry and well-ventilated basement.
2. Fruits placed for storage should not be damaged, so only those that have been removed from the branch are suitable for this purpose.
3. The best container for storing apples is shallow wooden crates. To ensure sufficient air circulation, fruits should be stacked in one layer.
4. Spoiled apples that cannot be stored can be processed by making cider, fruit wine, compotes, juices, jelly from them. Their high pectin content makes them suitable for making delicious mousses, preserves, marmalades, jams and jellies.

Harvesting and storage

Harvest not earlier than the end of September. Apples can remain on the branches, but only until the first frost.

Harvest gradually. The edges of the branches are freed first, and then their middle. The fruits are placed in wooden boxes. Plain plain paper serves as a flooring.

Store fruits in a cool room with a minimum level of humidity. Average shelf life of fruits is 6 months. If the apples start to deteriorate, they are sorted out and put into new boxes.

Flowers

Apple flowers of this variety are colored in a milky whitish shade. The shape of the flowers is saucer-shaped.

Fruit

The apples are round, slightly conical in shape. Their dimensions are quite large: the weight of one fruit reaches 150-230 grams.

Trunk

An adult apple tree has a fairly high trunk. When grown on a seed stock, the tree grows up to 3-4 meters in length. If a dwarf species is cultivated, the height of the trunk reaches 2-2.5 meters.

Productivity and fruit characteristics

Fruits reach removable ripeness by mid-September, marketable - by mid-October, are kept fresh for 6 months. The apples are large, weighing 180–300 g, they turn red speckled in the sun, and remain green in the shade. The shape of the fruit is round-conical, but there are also asymmetric, flattened. The reason is the short stalk and high fertility. 3-4 apples grow from one inflorescence, which squeeze each other, often squeeze out, causing shedding.

Due to the short stalk, the fruits of the Honey Crisp are located tightly to each other.

Apple growers, including Honey Crisp, say this variety is superior in flavor to the rest. The pulp is crispy, juicy, bites off with a chip. Even Honey Crisp, which has withered during storage, remains crisp. The taste is sweet with sourness and delicate aroma, but sourness will be more noticeable in the northern regions. The sugar content also depends on how warm the summer was.

Video: Honey Crisp Apples Review

Application

In cooking

In addition to the fact that apples are eaten raw and in the form of fresh juices, they are used to prepare fillings for pies, dumplings and pancakes, as ingredients or a base for desserts, they are also used as one of the ingredients in salads. It is good to bake poultry with apples, and in Europe fried apples are served as a side dish for pork or sausage.

And baked apples by themselves or with various fillings are not only tasty, but also healthy.

In medicine

The Honey Crisp apple variety, the photos of which you saw, have many properties useful for the human body. They strengthen the immune system, serve to prevent cancer, improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and liver, reduce the risk of developing broncho-pulmonary diseases, and inhibit the aging process of the body.

Since apple seeds contain iodine, they are very beneficial for the thyroid gland. However, do not abuse them.

When losing weight

Nutritionists have developed many block based diets. The apple diet helps to fight obesity and cleanses the body of toxins well. It is recommended to do at least fasting apple days. Having held out on a strict apple diet for 7 days, you can lose up to 7 kg. During this period, it is allowed to drink an unlimited amount of water and green tea.If you don't have enough energy for a seven-day diet, then you should try the one-day apple mono-diet.

At home

• A half of an apple stored with a bun or cake can prevent these foods from getting stale quickly.
• If you suddenly oversalt the soup, put half an apple in it, boil it for 10 minutes, and your soup is saved.
• Apples make wonderful candlesticks for pill candles. You just need to make a small indentation, and the scent candlestick is ready.

In cosmetology

• If your hair quickly becomes greasy, rinse with a solution of apple cider vinegar and water after shampooing. Shine without grease is guaranteed.
• One budget remedy will help from rashes and improve complexion: just peel an apple slice and slide it along the massage lines on the face. After 10-15 minutes, wash off the remaining juice.

Advantages and disadvantages

This variety was bred by American breeders from Minnesota back in 1974. Hani, or the Honey Crisp apple tree, is an industrial winter variety. For creation, the varieties Mekaun and Honeigold were used. This variety has earned its fame in many countries, thanks to its many advantages, and in Russia it is just beginning to gain fame. This variety has another name - the Honey Crunch apple tree.

Apple tree Honey Crisp

The main advantages of this variety include:

• Easy care and harvesting due to the compactness of the crown;
• The fruits are of commercial quality and are well stored;
• Excellent taste;
• The apples are transported over fairly long distances without losses;
• After long storage, the taste of apples does not change.

However, there are some disadvantages of the Honey Crisp variety. One of them is susceptibility to fungal diseases. Sometimes, when storing the crop, spotting occurs under the skin.

Although planting Hani apple trees in regions closer to the north may develop a light, sour taste from the lack of warmth, this variety is considered very good for any garden, with a honey flavor. Each plant that appears on the site requires a certain amount of care, and these apple trees are no exception. Having done everything according to the rules, you can provide yourself with delicious fruits for a long time.

The description of the Honey Crisp apple variety is as follows:

1. Late ripening.
2. Weak trees.
3. High resistance to scab and powdery mildew.
4. Excellent indicators of frost resistance. The variety perfectly tolerates frosts down to -35 ° C.

Honey Crisp young trees develop quickly, in a few years they reach a height of 3-4 meters. The shape of the crown in their adult form acquires wide-oval outlines. Saplings grown on a seedling rootstock begin to bear fruit only in the 7th year of cultivation. Therefore, when choosing planting material, preference should be given to stocks from a fruiting apple tree.

According to photos and reviews, the fruits of the Honey Crisp apple tree have an average weight of 200 to 250 grams. They are distinguished by their evenness and very high taste characteristics. The shape of the apples of this variety is round-conical. Their base color is yellow with a dense red blush.

The tasting score of apples is high. They are characterized by dense juicy pulp, which retains its density even after long storage. The taste of the fruit is rich and harmonious with a characteristic aroma of the variety.

On specialized resources, you can often find arguments about which apple tree is better than Ales or Honey Crisp. It is impossible to give an unambiguous answer to this question. A lot depends on the growing conditions and agricultural technology.

Of the merits of the Honey Crisp variety, the following should be especially noted:

1. Excellent commercial quality of the fruit. Honey Crisp is very often used for commercial cultivation.
2. High yield rates.
3. Unpretentiousness and good winter hardiness.

The harvest of this variety begins in October. When grown in southern regions, these dates are shifted to early September.Their main purpose is fresh consumption, but they can also be used to prepare various blanks.

When ripe, the fruits of Honey Crisp begin to crumble, so you should not linger with their collection.

Honey Crisp has been growing in my garden for over 10 years. Starting from the age of 5, he pleases with consistently high yields. The tree of this variety can withstand frosts above 30 ° without any problems.

• Honey Crisp compares favorably with other varieties of apples:
• rich chemical composition and incredibly high taste characteristics of the fruits that persist when growing apple trees in different regions and only change their shades;
• high frost resistance (wood easily tolerates temperatures down to -35 ° C);
• good yields at early onset of fruiting;
• resistant to powdery mildew and scab;
• excellent commercial characteristics - beautiful large fruits of the same shape with good transportability;
• suitability for long-term storage (up to 7 months).

• Among the disadvantages of the American variety, gardeners note only:
• the appearance of subcutaneous spot on fruits during storage;
• the risk of premature crop fall in the absence of its rationing;
• the presence of cyclicity in fruiting, especially after a bountiful harvest;
• lack of ability to pollinate with its own pollen.

Growing

When choosing a place for placing seedlings of the "Honey Crisp" variety, you need to know that:

1. Due to their high light-requiringness, the distance to outbuildings or to neighboring trees should be at least three meters.
2. The best soil for them is sandy loam or loamy soil.
3. Too close (from 1.5 to 2 m) the occurrence of groundwater to the surface of the earth in a garden plot can not only negatively affect the root system of an apple tree, but also significantly reduce its winter hardiness. It is possible to correct the situation with a high groundwater level if you first form a hill in the garden with a height of 70 cm and a base diameter of at least 2 m, and then plant a young apple tree on it.

Disembarkation

In every garden, it is simply necessary to have autumn or late varieties of apples. They have high endurance, and their fruits can delight you with their taste all winter. The apple tree should be planted at a distance of three meters from buildings or other fruit trees.

Groundwater plays a special role in the healthy development of a tree. If they are located deep on your site, there is nothing to worry about, but otherwise you will have to form a mound to plant a tree, since groundwater will reduce the quality characteristics of the tree. When choosing a seedling, you need to pay attention to the condition of the root system. It should not have visible mechanical or other damage. It is better to buy one-year-old seedlings, their survival rate is much better than that of two-year-olds.

When planting an apple tree in the fall, it is necessary to prepare a planting hole in a month. Exactly what autumn time to do the landing depends on the region. The main thing is that this procedure is carried out 3 weeks before the onset of frost. For planting in the spring, the hole is prepared in the fall. The parameters of the landing pit are as follows: diameter - meter, depth - 70 cm.The hole should be filled with the following composition:

• humus or rotted manure - 3 buckets;
• ash - 10 tbsp. spoons;
• superphosphate - 1 glass;
• potassium sulfate - 4 tbsp. spoons.

Before planting, you must carefully inspect the seedling for damage. It is highly not recommended to plant low-quality material. If the root system turns out to be overdried, then it must be placed in water for a day. The tree is placed in a hole, after which its roots are straightened. It is very important to maintain the following parameters: the roots should not be deepened too much, as this will lead to late fruiting.On the contrary, the root collar does not need to be placed too high, since during the heat the tree will not receive the required amount of moisture. After planting, the tree must be watered with three buckets of water. To reduce evaporation, the trunk space is mulched with hay or small branches.

Benefit

The Honey Crispi apple variety is an excellent substitute for a toothbrush and paste. Since this apple is hard and sour, eating it will not only give you a gastronomic pleasure, but also successfully brush your teeth and strengthen your gums.

Skin that has darkened from work in the kitchen can be whitened with the peel of these apples.

Apples are a very good material not only for professional carving, but also for crafts and stencil prints.

Where and how it grows

This variety of winter apple tree is very popular in Canada, USA, as well as in Western Europe. At the end of the 90s of the last century, the variety was successfully distributed in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and became a favorite of gardeners.

This tree gives a harvest already in the 4th year after planting, and on dwarf rootstocks the first fruits appear earlier - already in the second year after planting. Apples begin to ripen in September. You can determine if an apple is ripe by looking at its bones (they should be brown). In addition, the ripe apple is easily removed from the branch.

Since the variety is frost-resistant, it can be grown in central Russia, in Ukraine and Belarus.

Pros and cons

The advantages of planting this variety in the garden include the following points:

• high cold resistance. Honey Crisp is recommended to grow in climatic zone IV (temperature -25-30 degrees);
• high productivity. A six-year-old tree gives up to 9 kg of yield;
• excellent taste parameters of the fruit. They have a dessert taste;
• large-fruited;
• good transportability and keeping quality of apples;
• excellent immunity against fungal diseases.

Of the minuses, it is possible to note shedding of fruits during ripening, as well as damage to fruits by subcutaneous spotting. The Honey Crisp apple variety has many positive qualities, which has led to its popularity among gardeners both in our country and in other countries.