Honey Crisp apple tree: description and characteristics of the variety, cultivation with photo

Establishing a garden in a country house or farm starts with planting apple trees. It is this tree in our country that is the standard of gardening, and many gardeners classify it as an unpretentious plant that does not require special care. Honey Crisp apple tree is a bright representative of winter industrial varieties, bred by breeders from North America. Its fruits are distinguished not only by their delicious dessert taste, but also by their original appearance.

Description and characteristics of the Honey Crisp apple tree

Honey Crisp apple trees are native to Minnesota. It was there that they began to be cultivated in 1974. Beautiful and tasty fruits attracted the attention of gardeners from around the world. At the same time, planting material, like the fruits themselves, are not cheap.

Tree height

Honey Crisp apple trees are not very tall. The average tree grows up to 4 meters, and if a dwarf stock is used, then its growth does not exceed 2.5 meters. It is also possible to use a semi-dwarf stock, but the height of the plant will reach 3.5 meters. Such indicators are very convenient for further care.

Crown width

In the first years after planting, the young tree Honey Crisp has a narrow-pyramidal crown. Until the age of five, the seedling is actively growing, but after that the crown gradually begins to acquire wide-oval shapes. It should be borne in mind that this variety has a high ability to form shoots. This will definitely be needed for the correct formation and selection of the type of crown.

Variety yield

The weight of one Honey Crisp apple reaches 250 grams. The shape of the fruit is elongated, somewhat elongated. Its color is light green with a red blush over the entire surface. The pulp has a yellowish-cream shade, very juicy. The peel of apples is dense, with a characteristic glossy sheen. The aroma of the fruit is strong, the taste has a light and very pleasant sourness. At the age of 6 years, the tree produces up to 9 kilograms of ripe fruits with high marketability and taste.

Tasting evaluation

Tasters give Honey Crisp a taste of 4.8. The variety is easy to distinguish by taste from competitors, which distinguishes the fruit from other varieties.

Winter hardiness

Honey Crisp apple variety is able to withstand temperatures as low as -35 °C without additional shelter.

However, this figure may decrease significantly in the following cases:

after giving back a bountiful harvest;
when a young tree is overloaded with fruits;
damage to trees by pests or diseases during the growing season, resulting in a strong weakening of the plant;
during drought and lack of moisture in the soil.

Disease resistance

Honey Crisp apple trees are highly resistant to fungal diseases. In particular, they are not at all afraid of scab, susceptibility to powdery mildew is average. Nevertheless, experienced gardeners still carry out preventive treatments, since if at least one of the listed ailments appears in the garden, there is a risk of losing half of the crop.

Powdery mildew appears as a white coating on leaves, apples and shoots. Characteristic signs of scab damage are oily spots on the upper side of the leaves, which tend to darken over time.At the same time, the fetus itself stops growing, cracks and spots form on it. For the purpose of prevention, trees are treated with "Fundazol", "Strobi", "Guardian", "Thiovit Jet" and other drugs.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

The variety of apple trees Honey Crisp has a number of advantages that distinguish it from competitors. These include:

precocity;
excellent frost resistance;
large-fruited;
high aesthetic qualities of apples;
great taste characteristics;
suitable for long distance transportation;
long shelf life of more than six months;
increased resistance to fungal diseases.

A distinctive feature of the variety is a characteristic honey crunch, which is not possessed by any of the known winter varieties of apples.Among the shortcomings of Honey Crisp, the tendency of the tree to shed fruit in case of overload with a crop, as well as the susceptibility of fruits to subcutaneous spotting during long-term storage, is distinguished.

Features of planting an apple tree

On the correct planting of seedlings, not only the initial terms of fruiting depend, but also the full development of the tree, the yield and quality of future fruits. That is why this procedure is given special attention.

Time and place

Honey Crisp apple trees are preferably planted in spring, before bud break on seedlings. In the autumn, planting work is carried out after the sap flow processes slow down in the seedlings. Plants with a closed root system can be planted at any time, but experts still recommend refraining from this procedure during the summer heat.

A place for planting Honey Crisp apple trees is chosen based on the fact that the distance between the tree and buildings or other plantations should be at least 3 meters. The level of groundwater in the selected area for planting must be at least 2 meters.

Otherwise, a mound about 70 cm high is formed and the seedling is planted in it so that the winter hardiness of the plant does not suffer and its root system is not disturbed.

Preparing the seedling

For planting Honey Crisp apple trees, seedlings aged 1 to 2 years are selected. It is at this time that their survival rate is highest. Carefully inspect the root system and twigs of a young tree. They should not have mechanical damage and signs of disease, they should be elastic. Roots with signs of damage are cut with a sharp knife, and the skeletal roots are slightly shortened. If the root system has dried up, then the apple tree is put in water for a couple of days.

Soil preparation

A site for planting young apple trees of the Honey Crisp variety is prepared a month before the main work. To do this, dig a hole 70 cm deep and about 1 meter in diameter. For dressing, prepare a mixture consisting of:

cow humus;
wood ash;
potassium sulfate;
superphosphate.

Fitting technology

The roots of a young apple tree of the Honey Crisp variety are straightened in a prepared hole, after which they are covered with a nutritious soil mixture, periodically compacting it. At the same time, the root neck should rise above the ground by at least 8 cm. Otherwise, the apple tree will delay fruiting, and in exceptional cases even its periodicity is observed. If the root collar is placed high, then during the summer heat the root system will not receive enough moisture.

Rules for plant care

Care is no less important than planting the Honey Crisp apple tree. The correct implementation of these works guarantees not only abundance, but also integrity, good preservation of the crop.

Features of spring care

The next year after planting young apple trees, in the spring, it will be necessary to shorten the vertical shoot. In subsequent periods, the growth of young branches from the current year is cut off by 1/3 of their length. Those shoots that become competing with the central conductor are cut into a ring. This is necessary in order to properly form the crown and avoid its thickening. In the first year after planting the apple tree, it is not required to feed it, but later in the spring it is useful to apply mineral fertilizers or organic matter. The tree trunk should be whitewashed with a solution of quicklime.

Summer Care

Care for Honey Crisp apple trees in the summer comes down to timely watering, applying potassium-phosphorus fertilizers and carrying out preventive treatments. The watering rate for an adult tree is 4 buckets of water. The frequency of irrigation depends on the prevailing weather conditions.Experienced gardeners advise to carry out this procedure at least once a week.

Autumn care

Caring for Honey Crisp apple trees in autumn comes down not only to harvesting, but also to preparing the plant for wintering. A month before the expected harvest, they completely stop watering the trees. As soon as the fruits are harvested, they begin sanitary pruning, during which they get rid of damaged and shrunken branches.

Preparing for winter

In the conditions of the middle lane and the southern climate, Honey Crisp apple trees do not require special preparation for winter cold. This procedure here looks standard for all winter-hardy varieties. But in colder regions, trees should be provided with additional shelter, the trunk should be insulated. To avoid freezing of plants, plant them in regions with severe deputies in a place protected from drafts and winds.

Maturation and fruiting

Apple variety Honey Crisp is considered to be early ripening. A medium-sized stock begins to bear fruit 4 years after planting the seedling on the site. The use of a dwarf or semi-dwarf rootstock accelerates the start of fruiting.

You can enjoy the first harvest after a couple of years. Medium-sized trees live up to 40 years, and stunted trees - up to 15.

The period of fruit ripening in the apple tree Honey Crisp falls on September. Harvesting is carried out only with full confidence in its ripening. This can be determined by the brown color of the seeds and the easy separation of the apple from the fruit twig.

Features of cultivation in the regions

Due to the high frost resistance of apple trees, Honey Crisp varieties are grown everywhere. They are suitable for the climatic conditions of Ukraine, Belarus, regions of the Moscow region and the middle zone.When cultivated in regions with cold weather conditions, due to a lack of heat, sourness appears in the taste of the fruit. However, it gives apples a piquancy and does not spoil their taste characteristics.