Apple tree Honey Crisp: variety description, planting and care, pruning + photos, reviews

Apple tree is the most common fruit tree in the garden plots of Russian gardeners. Many of them are not limited to planting well-known varieties of domestic and “national” selection, trying to grow apples bred abroad. Among the achievements of foreign breeders stands apple tree Hani Crisp.

General information about the apple trees of the Haney Crisp variety, their advantages and disadvantages

The variety of apples Hani Crisp (“Honey Crunch”) was included in the Russian State Register in 2017 under the name “Honeikrisp,” but gardeners are more familiar with the first option. Recommended for landing in the Central Black Earth region.

Homeland Hani Crisp - USA. The apple tree was created in 1974 in Minnesota by crossing varieties Honey Gold and Macaune. The combination turned out to be very successful - from the first "parent" the hybrid inherited a wonderful taste, from the second - high frost resistance. In Russia, Hani Crisp can be planted not only in the south, but also in a temperate climate; it tolerates frosts down to -35 ° C. However, the apples will be smaller and more acidic. Also, the practice of growing Honey Crisp in Russia indicates that cold resistance is reduced:

• after abundant fruiting;
• when overloaded with the fruits of young apple trees;
• after severe damage by diseases and / or insects;
• with moisture deficit in summer (drought tolerance of the variety is average).

Winter apples, as a result - light and transportable. At a temperature of 0–5 ° C and an air humidity of 85–90%, they are stored for up to 7 months without losing their juiciness, density of the pulp and taste. Honey Crisp is very popular in the US, Canada and Europe with farmers who grow fruits on an industrial scale. Apples reach technical maturity in the last ten days of September, and apples - in early November. The purpose of the fruit is universal.

A tree 3.5–4 m high (on a dwarf rootstock - up to 2.5 m). It reaches such dimensions by 5–6 years, then the growth rate sharply slows down. At this age, the apple tree brings a more or less significant yield - 6–9 kg of apples (the first fruits are tasted 4 years after planting). The crown begins to stretch upward, taking the form of an ellipse instead of a rounded one, and remains not too thickened.

The average weight of an apple is 170 g; they are mostly one-dimensional. 3-4 inflorescences are formed in each inflorescence, which, given the large size of the fruit, necessitates the rationing of the crop. Otherwise, apples will simply fall off. The shape is symmetrical, similar to a rounded cone. The skin is smooth, without edges and tubercles. It is painted a pale yellow color with a greenish tint, but most of the fruit is covered with pink-raspberry or reddish-orange “blush” in the form of stripes or marble stains. The yield of an adult tree is up to 25 kg.

The taste is honey-sweet, with a slight sourness. Professional tasters, he is rated at 4.5 points out of 5. The pulp is creamy, very juicy, fine-grained, crunchy. When bitten, it seems to chip. The aroma is weak. At home, apples grow larger - up to 220–250 g, their taste is estimated at 4.8–5 points.

The tree resists scab well, slightly worse - powdery mildew. Hani Crisp also has disadvantages:

• tendency to subcutaneous spotting (especially during long-term storage);
• the tendency of the ovaries to fall in the absence of their rationing;
• irregular fruiting, especially after seasons that are very successful in terms of yield;
• self-fertility (suitable pollinators - Golden Delishes, Idared, Askold, Granddaughter, Everest, Gloucester);
• a certain deficiency of planting material and its high cost.

Video: What are the apples of Honey Crisp

Tree planting and preparatory procedures

Apple tree Honey Crisp is a medium-sized variety. The necessary interval from it to other trees, shrubs, buildings is at least 3 m. One- and two-year-old seedlings take root best. Places where groundwater comes closer to the surface closer than 2.5–3 m to the tree are not suitable.

This apple tree loves the sun - with a lack of light, the fruits are less aesthetic, without a bright “blush”. Provide the tree with protection from cold winds (at a distance of 4–5 m it should be covered by an obstacle). The most suitable soil is chernozem or fertile loam, and somewhat less loamy sand.

Description of landing with a photo

The landing algorithm is as follows:

1. Prepare a landing pit 0.7-0.8 m deep and 1 m in diameter. When planting in the spring, this is done in the fall, and in the fall, a month before the procedure.
   

   Set aside the top 15 cm of the substrate extracted from the planting hole separately - this is the most fertile soil

2. A third fill it with a mixture of fertile topsoil (about 15 cm) with 20 l of humus, a half-liter can of wood ash, 180–200 g of simple superphosphate and 80–100 g of potassium sulfate. Pour out soil to form a mound. Cover the pit to prevent sediment from eroding the substrate.
   

   Humus - a natural remedy to increase soil fertility

3. Inspect the roots of a seedling with an open root system, cut dry, decayed areas to a healthy tissue, soak for a day in water or a solution of any biostimulant.
   

   Seedlings with a closed root system are more convenient to plant; in any case, planting material should be purchased only from trustworthy producers, especially since Honey Crisp is a variety in Russia not too common

4. Slightly departing from the center of the knoll in the pit, stick a support for the apple tree - a peg, 15–20 cm above the seedling.
   

   The support for the apple tree sapling is installed before planting - otherwise the roots can be damaged

5. Put a tree on a knoll, carefully spread its roots along its “slopes”. Seedlings with a closed root system are removed from the tank along with a lump of soil on the roots and planted in a hole at the top of this mound.
   

   The roots of the apple tree seedling are straightened so that they do not stick up and to the sides

6. Fill the landing pit with earth, periodically compacting it with your hands. When it is full, the root neck should be 7-8 cm above the ground.
   

   While falling into the pit, periodically gently shake the seedling and compact the earth to prevent air pockets

7. With an earthen edge, limit the trunk circle with a diameter of 50-60 cm. Pour plenty of water (30–35 l).
   

   Watering an apple seedling after planting is a mandatory procedure

8. When the water is absorbed, mulch the soil, tie the apple tree to the support.
   

   After planting, an apple tree seedling should look something like this

Video: how to plant an apple tree

Apple Care Tips

Care for this variety in terms of watering and top dressing requires mostly standard. The main difficulties for beginning gardeners is the formation of a crown.

Hani Crisp tree pruning for crown formation

For Hani Crisp, a sparse-tiered approach is suitable:

1. Immediately after landing by a third, cut the central conductor by a third, side shoots (if any) - up to 2-3 buds.
2. Next spring, leave the 3-4 most powerful shoots from the side shoots located at approximately the same height and at an equal distance around the trunk. Remove the rest to the growth point.
3. A year later, similarly lay the second tier at a height of 15–20 cm from the first. On the skeletal branches of the first tier, leave 3-4 second-order shoots — the side branches extending from them approximately in the horizontal plane.
4. Next, form the third and last tier. On the first this spring, third-order branches are laid, on the second - second.

Video: formation of a sparse-tier crown of a fruit tree

Subcutaneous spotting significantly reduces the value of Honey Crisp apples. To prevent the appearance of dark spots, every 10 days from the moment the ovary reaches the size of a walnut, they are sprayed with a solution of calcium nitrate (15 g per 10 l of water). Dolomite flour - 100 g / m² is introduced annually into the trunk circle annually in autumn.

To prevent fungal diseases (especially powdery mildew), the tree and the soil beneath it are sprayed with a solution of any fungicide in early spring and a month after harvest. During the season, once every 10-15 days, you can use whey diluted with water 1:10. In spring and summer, apple trees are regularly examined, revealing suspicious symptoms, apply the same fungicides, preparing a solution and observing the frequency of treatments in accordance with the instructions for the drug. A month before the expected harvest, only safe biological products can be used (Phytosporin, PhytoDoctor, Fitoverm).

Good prevention against pests - keeping the trunk circle clean, its regular loosening, special sticky belts, planting of herbs, other plants with sharp smell. At the same time as for protection against diseases, the tree and the trunk circle can be treated with any broad-spectrum insecticide (Inta-Vir).

Video: prevention of fungal diseases of the apple tree

Gardeners reviews about the variety

Hani Crisp needs warmth. Last year, I matured perfectly. The taste after two weeks of lying was awesome. The acid in the bed goes away, sweetness is added, but everything is fine with it anyway. This cold year is empty. But very juicy and crispy, as expected. The appearance of the apple is highly dependent on light. In the shade without any color at all, or with dirty stripes, in the sun - just like in the picture they are obtained from the exhibition. I have not tried to store it, but it seems to be lying until February.

A small detail in favor of the Haney Crisp variety: those “charms” that left us with autumn frosts, like then: the drying of branches on individual varieties, uprooting and replacing other varieties, did not touch this apple trees. No damage, excellent growth, beautiful shiny sheet.

The first fruiting of Hani Crisp in the third year from the moment of planting: a crop of about two buckets (this is with thinning). The fruits are all large, more than 200 g, and there were about 400 g. More than half of the fruits are affected by subcutaneous spotting. Apples are beautiful and delicious.

Hani Crisp has a harmonious taste. Neither Antonovka nor the White Bulk even stood close.

Honey Crisp apples are appreciated primarily for their attractive appearance and excellent taste. But the advantages of the American winter variety are far from exhausted. Of course, there are nuances of care that you need to know about in advance, but you can’t name the apple tree whimsical and demanding on agricultural technology.