North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[edforest55@hotmail.com]

Hello all:
When I heard Ed F and Kevin M descibe Honeycrisp as lacking in flavor 
I had to scratch my head and wonder if we were talking about the same 
apple. I recently received an update from the U of MN which may 
enlighten us a little on the topic:

Climate: Honeycrisp is best adapted to cooler growing regions. Areas 
in the East and Midwest that are able to produce good quality 
McIntosh fruit appear to be good sites. In the West, areas with 
higher elevation that are able to produce good quality Jonagold would 
appear to be good candidates. In climates where Honeycrisp apple is 
not well adapted, fruit color will be limited and bitter pit may be a 
persistent problem. It may be susceptible to bitter pit even in its 
well-adapted areas, especially in the early years of production and 
with large fruit and smaller crop loads. In cooler growing areas 
however, this problem is easily remedied with foliar calcium 
applications while in warmer areas the problem may persist even with 
the addition of calcium.
Dis. Res.: above average resistance to scab.
Rootstock: Reports of brittle union with M26 and possible B9. This is 
usually manifested by breakage at the union when exposed to physical 
stress such as high wind. This appears to occur in the first 4-5 
years and can be prevented by staking. Honeycrisp is a low vigor 
variety at most sites. " . . . We think that orchardist should be 
notified of this when considering the use of  very dwarfing 
rootstocks such as M9 or B9.
Storage: There have been isolated reports of storage scald, seeming 
to be associated with storage temperatures of 32 degrees. Very few 
cases of scald were reported when fruit is stored at 35- 36 degrees.

I also have spoken with a several growers, here is a summary of a 
conversation that I had with a WI wholesaler:
. . . "The wholesale price of Honeycrisp is three times that of other 
apples. The supply is way short of the demand. Honeycrisp is not 
precocious. We use 111 and on Honeycrisp these are producing 
beautiful trees, bearing in 4 years in Menominee. They are not 
tolerant to late frosts. Lost 90 percent of my trees grafted to Mark 
due to breakage at the union.


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