Question about Honeycrisp

[Bowsnbucks]

I've steered away from HC for our camp because of things I've read saying HC are "finicky", "fussy", etc. Yet many of you gents love them for wildlife plantings, late blooming, etc. For a wildlife planting where - if I planted one / a few - they wouldn't be babied and hand-held, what would you guys say ?? ( This is in N.C. Pa. mountains, zone 5 & 6 border ) Go - or no go ??

 

[Prof.Kent]

Put them on a larger rootstock, M106, B118, MM111. They are targeted by insects harder than most varieties due to their sweetness. Do insecticide spray in early years to avoid stunting.

 

[sandbur]

I've steered away from HC for our camp because of things I've read saying HC are "finicky", "fussy", etc. Yet many of you gents love them for wildlife plantings, late blooming, etc. For a wildlife planting where - if I planted one / a few - they wouldn't be babied and hand-held, what would you guys say ?? ( This is in N.C. Pa. mountains, zone 5 & 6 border ) Go - or no go ??

Keep them closer to the building site so they can be babied if necessary.


Or plant a chestnut crab and carry on! ;)


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[Turkey Creek]

If you have cedars they definitely benefit from CAR sprays for at least the first couple of years to give them a helping hand. I have found they lose about half of a growing season leaf wise if you dont spray.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

^^^^^^ We already have 3 Chestnut crabs in the ground, and #4 is coming from SLN in 3 weeks !! Our biggest one is on Antonovka rootstock and is 14 ft. tall after 3 years. You're a good salesman, Art !!

 

[Bowsnbucks]

TC - We have no cedars for miles. No CAR problems, thank God !! Scab and FB would be my biggest worries, although 90% of our trees are DR for those.

 

[Apple Junkie]

I took a flier on a couple Honeycrisp, and I am not much further north from you Bows. Honestly, they are not doing great, but I got them from a nursery on the west coast that I am not sold on. I think I will try one from a more trusted source, Cummins, ANC, or SLN and see what happens. I am fairly confident mine will come around, and I think you should be you OK too. It would be a shame not to stick one in when it could love your location. Good luck.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Thanks for the info, A.J. ^^^^^^ I might have to give a HC a try - along with 1 Ida Red, just to see what flies.

 

[chummer]

I have a couple from Cummins and they have had zero growth in two years, but you know I am in the tundra. They are still alive.

 

[H20fwler]

I have the Honeycrisp on M111 and they have grown as good as any of my other apples. No babying or spraying at all so far, just pruning.

 

[Natureboy]

I have about eight Honeycrisp on M111 rootstock. No cedars in the area so I don't have CAR issues on any of my trees. I have found the Honeycrisp to be strong growers, similar to Liberty, Enterprise and Freedom. No problems with scab, they drop fruit from October thru early January most years. The only problems that I have found is that they may be somewhat bi-annual with a light yield the year after a heavy one if allowed to overcrop. The apples are one of our favorites, they are also a favorite of the black bears that are in the area and our Honeycrisp trees have the most bear damage of any variety in the orchard.

 

[Red]

My oldest trees are going on their fourth leaf only. but to date, out of 20, the 2 honeycrisp and the best looking trees of the bunch.
I’m on the edge of zone 3-4. No real care other than light pruning and keeping the weeds down.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Natureboy - I like all your info except the BEARS part. We have too many as it is.

Thanks Chummer, H20, and Red as well. All input is good. Much appreciated gents !!

 

[sandbur]

I have another Honeycrisp question.

We bought a box of mixed fruit from FFA. The apples are mated HC and from Washington state. They are a good apple but not the taste and snap I usually expect from HC.

In storage too long or is it their climate?


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[H20fwler]

I have another Honeycrisp question.

We bought a box of mixed fruit from FFA. The apples are mated HC and from Washington state. They are a good apple but not the taste and snap I usually expect from HC.

In storage too long or is it their climate?


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Fruit might have experienced some temp ups and downs traveling and getting sorted over and over being distributed.
I have had the some last in the crisper drawer for months on end in the fridge but it does get a little flatter on taste. HC is one apple that is very impressive with how long it will keep.

 

[Appleman]

Honeycrisp is a great variety to have but will perform quite differently from region to region. I am blessed to be in an area that is quite suitable to grow honeycrisp. This northern cold hardy variety has produced here in Northwestern Vermont some pretty outstanding results for size and flavor in our geophysical region called the "Foothills" in USDA micro zone 3a/4a. Seeing we are void of red cedar and have white cedar CAR is not a concern and does not require any special kind of treatment in our sprays. Our biggest challenge is controlling Japanese Beetles which usually emerge around July 1st and last until Labor Day. Monitoring the beetles and applying a good cover spray before thresholds are met keeps our trees very healthy throughout the season. Having sold thousands of HC over the years the place where Honeycrisp has failed the most is along Lake Champlain where Red Cedar is a predominate species. Since this type of Juniper stores inoculum in the gulls of the plant spores are released spreading wide outbreaks of the CAR disease often severely weakling the growth potential of the tree. An aggressive spray program using a fungicide specifically designed to target CAR can overcome this problem as demonstrated by the commercial orchards along Lake Champlain. For best flavor and size areas of northern regions will far out perform central and southern areas. For example the southern areas of the Hudson river valley and Washington state apples for the most part will not size or color as well as our region. As a retailer of fruit grown from many regions I have yet to taste a pacific northwest apple that compares to a Northern New England honeycrisp.
If you are in an area that is prone to FB and CAR I would seriously consider looking at other more disease resistant varieties then HC for you wildlife projects.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Thanks Appleman. We have no red cedars for miles near my camp. CAR not a problem for us. I haven't see any evidence of FB on any of our trees, but it could arrive on birds' feet, bugs of any sort, etc. I know FB is bacterial and can spread by contact. So far - so good on FB.

If we try a honeycrisp, it would be just 1 for the deer - no roadside sales or anything.