HONEYCRISP
Origin | University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA. |
Parentage | Macoun x Honeygold. |
Availability | Depending on supply. Local crop is available September through May. |
Source | Available from selected nurseries. |
Quality | Honeycrisp is a firm, juicy apple with tremendous crispness. Its flavour is mild and well balanced. It compares to McIntosh in terms of sweetness with slightly more acid. The flesh is very melting when eaten, reminiscent of watermelon. |
Fruit: |
Size | Large; 70-75 mm (2.5 - 3.0 inches), 200 - 300 g. |
Surface | Relatively smooth; small dimples are numerous on the fruit as well as prominent lenticels and some russetting. However, it is an attractive apple. |
Ground Colour | Greenish yellow. |
Over Colour | Approximately 50-90% solid to mottled red. Early indications are that over colour needs full sun and balanced nutrition to develop. |
Flesh Colour | Cream; slow to oxidize when cut. |
Pressure | 17-19 lbs pressure reading is typical at harvest compare to 15-17 lbs for McIntosh. |
Harvest Season | Optimum harvest date has been 7-10 days after McIntosh in Minnesota. Preharvest drop is generally not a problem so the harvest season can be extended. Fruit will store well even when harvested at starch levels of 5.0-5.5 on a 6.0 point chart. Background colour is one of the best indicators of maturity. Similar to Jonagold, yellowish background is necessary for optimum maturity. |
Storage | Honeycrisp has been shown to maintain good flavour and texture after at least five months of common air storage. Early indications point to scald susceptability. |
Strains | None known at this point. |
Tree: |
Vigour | Low. It will be one of our least vigourous cultivars; similar to spur-type Golden Delicious and Wagener. |
Habit | Upright spreading, good lateral production; branch angles more open than Spy. |
Precocity | Very precocious; bears in second year on M26. |
Fruit Placement | Early, heavy production on fruit spurs; not a tip bearer; similar to Idared. |
Bloom Period | Late mid-season. |
Pollination | Pollinated by most varieties. |
Nutrition | For good quality fruit, foliar Nitrogen level should be kept at 1.9-2.0%. If bitter pit is a problem, four or more spray applications of Calcium in the growing season may be required. |
Crop | Productive. Thinning likely required as early indications point to strong biennialism. |
Synchrony | At this point, it appears more than one pick will be required in Nova Scotia to maximize fruit quality. |
Adaptation | Bred in Minnesota for winter hardiness, it should be adaptable to Nova Scotia. Observation over the past three years indicate that this is the case. Quality and colour are enhanced in cool climates. |
Disease Reaction | In reports of the NE-183 it has been noted that Honeycrisp seems to be the one of the most scab resistant of the susceptible cultivars. It may have high susceptibility to powdery mildew and a moderate rating for fire blight. |
Insect Reaction | Early observations indicate that Honeycrisp is quite sensitive to mite feeding. |
Rootstock | Recent Honeycrisp plantings in Nova Scotia are mostly on M26 rootstock. There are also some on other rootstocks including the more vigourous MM106. Since this is a low vigour cultivar, it will not be a large tree when grown on semi-dwarf rootstocks. |
Comments: |
Honeycrisp is a promising unique cultivar, well adapted to areas where McIntosh are grown. Its hardiness, good size, early bearing, easy to manage tree form, good storage and explosive crispness have given this cultivar an exciting launch in North Eastern North America. |
Back | Next |