Apple variety Honey (Hani) Crisp: photo, description, reviews

The Honey Crisp apple tree is one of the winter varieties beloved by gardeners in many countries, whose name in English means “Honey Crunch”. It is the pleasant sweet taste that gardeners call the hallmark of this culture.

The branches of an adult honey Crisp apple tree are densely strewn with fruits

History of breeding

The variety Honey Crisp was created in 1974 as a result of crossing apple trees Macan (Macoun), as well as Honey Gold (Honey Gold). The originators were breeders from Minnesota (United States of America).

Having successfully overcome all experimental tests in the early eighties of the last century, the Honey Crisp apple tree quickly gained popularity among gardeners in America and Western Europe. In the early nineties, representatives of this variety appeared in the gardens of Our Country and the countries of the former CIS.

The task of breeders was to breed a frost-resistant apple tree with a long shelf life.

Description and characteristics of the apple tree Honey (Hani) Crisp

Pleasant taste qualities and good characteristics have helped the Honey Crisp apple tree to become one of the most popular winter varieties. Good transportability and a record shelf life of fruits played an important role in this.

tree appearance

Winter apple tree Honey Crisp is a medium-sized tree, the maximum height of which does not exceed 4,5 m.

To facilitate care and harvesting, it is allowed to grow apple trees of this variety on a stock. The height of a tree on a dwarf rootstock is no more than 2,5 m, and on a semi-dwarf one – 3,5 m.

Thin long shoots of Honey Crisp are located mainly at right angles to the trunk.

Due to the high ability to shoot formation, the narrow pyramidal or spindle-shaped crown thickens very quickly in the first years of the tree’s life, which necessitates regular formative pruning. Provided that it is performed correctly, by the fifth year of life, the crown becomes broadly oval.

Like most representatives of this culture, the bark of a young Honey Crisp apple tree has a brownish-green tint, turning brown-brown as it matures. In addition, over time, it acquires the ability to crack.

Dark green leaves of Honey Crisp are large, matte. The shape of the leaf plate is typical for this culture – round-oval with a pointed end and a serrated edge.

The branched root system of the apple tree is located in the upper layers of the soil. The presence of a central rod depends on the characteristics of cultivation (when growing on a rootstock, it is recommended to pinch the central root).

Honey Crisp apple trees are rarely grown on a natural rootstock.

Description of fruits

The rounded-elongated, equilateral, sometimes slightly flattened fruits of the Honey Crisp variety are quite large – the weight of one apple varies between 180-250 g.

Light green at milky ripeness, as the apples ripen, the color of the dense glossy skin of apples becomes honey-yellow with an extensive bright red or burgundy blush and small light blotches.

Dense juicy pulp at the stage of full maturity has a creamy, sometimes yellowish tint, when bitten it easily breaks with a crunch (in fact, for this the variety was called “Honey Crunch”).

The taste of ripe apples is pleasant, honey, with a barely noticeable sourness. The tasting committee described it as a sweet dessert and rated it at 4,8 points.

Honey Crisp apples have an attractive appearance

Flowering

The flowering period begins at the beginning, middle or end of May. It depends on the climatic conditions of the growing region and the weather in the current season. The decisive factor is the ambient temperature – the flowers on the trees will open no earlier than the thermometer rises to 15 ° C.

During the budding period, which lasts 1-2 weeks, the tree is covered with a huge number of large white inflorescences, exuding an intense pleasant aroma.

Apple flowers are large, five-petalled

Apple Pollinators Honey Crisp

The variety Honey Crispi is characterized as self-fertile, so the so-called pollinating plants are needed to fertilize the flowers. In this regard, apple trees of other varieties are planted in the immediate vicinity of the tree.

Suitable neighbors for Honey Crispi will be the apple trees of Everest, Gloucester, Idared, Askold’s granddaughter.

When grown on an industrial scale, some gardeners practice the method of artificial pollination.

Terms of maturation

The fruiting period of the Honey Crispi apple tree is extended. The first apples ripen around the second half of September, and the last – in the second half of October.

Productivity

Gardeners characterize the yield level of the variety as average. The Honey Crispi apple tree begins to bear fruit very early, especially if it is grown on a vegetative rootstock.

In the first and second years after planting, there will be few apples, however, under favorable weather conditions and proper agricultural practices, about 4 kg of ripe fruits can be harvested from a 5-10-year-old tree. A full-fledged harvest (35-40 kg) will give an apple tree in about the eighth year of its life.

Apples retain their marketable appearance and taste for a long time.

Frost resistance

The variety Honey Crisp is characterized as frost-resistant. Adult apple trees grown on a conventional vegetative rootstock are able to withstand temperatures as low as -35 °C. The cold resistance of dwarf and semi-dwarf crops is slightly lower.

A decrease in this indicator is possible as a result of:

• fruit overload in the current season;
• weakening of the tree as a result of diseases and harmful insect activity;
• mechanical damage;
• lack of nutrition (this can happen during the dry season).

Disease resistance

Honey Crispi’s apple tree is practically not infected with scab. But powdery mildew and other fungal diseases can bring her considerable harm.

In addition, the tree often becomes the target of pest attacks. All this makes it necessary to carry out preventive measures (cleansing the root zone from rotting fruits and fallen leaves, as well as regular treatment of the bole and crown with special preparations).

Advantages and disadvantages

The photo and description of the Honey Crisp apple variety attract the attention of many gardeners. This can be explained by a number of advantages of culture.

One of the advantages of the apple tree is its compactness.

Pros:

• precocity and rapid increase in yield;
• presentation and excellent taste of fruits;
• good keeping quality of fruits and ability to withstand transportation over long distances;
• long shelf life (about six months);
• high level of resistance to drought and temperature decrease;
• the presence of immunity to certain fungal diseases.

Cons:

• not very high yield;
• the need for annual pruning;
• the possibility of fruit shedding;
• development of subcutaneous spotting of apples during long-term storage.

Planting an apple tree Honey Crisp

The winter apple tree Honey Crispi loves sunlight, so it is recommended to choose a sunny and well-ventilated area for its cultivation.

The soil can be used any, except acidic. A pH level above 7 runs the risk of becoming fatal to seedlings.

Apple trees can be planted twice a year – in spring, when the soil warms up to 10 ° C, and in autumn, during leaf fall.

During work:

• dig a hole about 80×80, put drainage on the bottom, and then fill it with a nutrient mixture consisting of garden turf, compost and wood ash;
• spill a hole with water, place a seedling in it and fill it with soil in such a way that the root collar protrudes 2-3 cm above the soil surface;
• The soil is lightly tamped and watered again.

Nearby, a wooden peg is driven into the ground and a young apple tree is tied to it.

It is advisable to choose seedlings in pots

Features of care

The subsequent care of Honey Crispi apple trees is not particularly difficult.

Mature trees practically do not need regular soil moisture. Honey Crispi apple trees should be watered only during the dry period and in autumn (abundant moisture-charging watering).

Loosening the soil and removing weeds is welcome, but also not required. But pruning Honey Crisp will have to be done every year. During the first procedure, the central stem is cut by 1/3, the side skeletal branches are also shortened. This procedure is repeated every year, adding to it the removal of tops (vertical shoots) and thickening branches (growing inside the crown). Dry and damaged parts of the tree are also subject to pruning.

Honey Crispi apple tree pruning is carried out before the start of sap flow

Diseases and pests

Unfavorable weather conditions and improper care can cause the development of diseases. Do not bypass the Honey Crispi apple tree and pests.

Mučnistaâ rosa

You can determine the presence of the disease by a white bloom, which first appears on the leaves of the Honey Crispi apple tree, and later affects the shoots and fruits. Treatment with fungicidal preparations such as Fundazol, Guard, Thiovit Jet will help to cope with the disease.

If powdery mildew is left untreated, it risks causing the death of the tree.

green aphid

Small green insects, almost invisible to the naked eye, can cause significant damage to the plant if they are not disposed of in time. This will help to do the processing of the Honey Crisp apple tree with insecticidal preparations such as Karbofos, Fitoverm.

Clusters of aphids can be found on the underside of the Honey Crispi apple leaf.

Cvetod

Small (up to 0,5 cm) brown bugs are dangerous because, climbing inside the apple flower, they eat away its core. As a result of such activity, an ovary is not formed. After the end of the flowering period, the flower beetle is taken for devouring leaves.

The flower beetle eats not only flowers and leaves, but also the fruits of the Honey Crisp apple tree.

You can get rid of this insect, as well as other pests, by treating the Honey Crispi apple tree with insecticides.

Collection and storage

Given the extended ripening period, Honey Crisp apples are harvested in several stages. The ripeness of the fruit is determined by how easily they separate from the stem. If you have to pull the apple, it’s too early to pick it.

The ripened fruits of Honey Crispi are placed in a wooden container, shifting the layers with dry sawdust or laying with paper. Store Honey Crispy apples in a dry, cool and well ventilated area.

One of the advantages of the Honey Crispi variety is its long shelf life.

Conclusion

The Honey Crisp apple tree is an unpretentious plant that, with proper care, can provide juicy fresh apples for the whole winter. Good frost resistance allows you to grow this variety in almost all regions of the country.

Reviews of gardeners about the apple tree Honey (Hani) Crisp