North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Anton Callaway <marillen@earthlink.net>]

I've got to agree with Alan on 'Honeycrisp' in warm climates.  Here in Zone 8 
(piedmont NC)it is one of my family's favorite apples.  It is crisp and more 
flavorful than any I've purchased from Northern growers, but it doesn't color 
as well as in cooler climates.  To be fair, I baby it in ways that none of my 
other apples are.  It doesn't really like the heat in the South, but with 
care, it does quite well here.

Anton


-----Original Message-----
>From: Alan Haigh <alandhaigh@gmail.com>
>Sent: Sep 19, 2010 10:15 AM
>To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
>Subject: [NAFEX] what apples to grow
>
>I'd like to answer 3 responses made to my comments on this subject.
>
>"Sorry Alan, but I really have to disagree with you on this one!
>As grown up North, Cortland needs time to develop its flavor and it is at
>its best by the end of November, the skin becomes slightly greasy, flesh
>becomes slightly tender, but the aroma and flavor are just undescriptible.
>When I arrive at the orchard house in late fall after having been in the
>city for a couple of weeks, I open the door - and there are about 10
>bushels of Cortland sitting there - the smell in the house is almost
>intoxicating. First thing I do is to bite into a Cortland and I think that
>Nature is so good for us!"
>
>A different opinion about flavor isn't really a disagreement in my opinion
>as I feel apple evaluations are highly subjective and only minimally
>intellectual.
>
>That said, I don't think anything Claude says really contradicts my stated
>opinion.  I think Cortlandt is a very good apple of its type (non-dense
>fleshed, aromatic Mac type) but I can only speak of it as grown here in my
>warmer and longer season.  Claude didn't say anything about the shelf life
>of Cortlandt in his climate which was my primary criticism of it as grown in
>my Z6.  So how bout it- how's it's texture in Feb, Claude?  Cooler weather
>during ripening can often improve shelf life.
>
>"Zestar grown in Zone 5 and north is exactly as Alan describes,  but I'd add
>that in some years it has a faint vanilla backdrop in its flavor.  Further
>south this apple simply can't develop much of anything."
>
>I would not wish to contradict Ed's greater experience growing this apple
>but my Z6 was like a 7 this year as we had unusual warmth, a very early
>spring and very few cloudy days- lots of days in the 90's but only a couple
>reaching 100.  Zestar was a Wow apple this year under these conditions.  It
>did much better than Honeycrisp here, which dropped off early without
>achieving peak flavor.  Are you referring to regions with many summer days
>above 100 F.  Ed?
>
>"Honeycrisp is said to be a cold climate apple, and Z6 is rather warm when
>apple growing is concerned. Climate is crucial for the quality of a specific
>variety. I remember Nicolai from Edmonton raving about Honeycrisp but he is
>in Edmonton which is more like Z2. I would imagine Honeycrisp as being
>insipid in warm climate, as would many other varieties... So remember, folks
>that taste is a very subjective affair, very much dependant not only on
>growing season but more subtil considerations such as soil, and many other
>considerations including taste buds..."
>
>Honeycrisp can grow very well in warmer climates although it doesn't get as
>much color but it is now the Hudson Valley's #2 money maker after Gala- at
>least that is what I was told by my chemical suppliers main consultant.
>That it can reach high quality here is also my own experience going as far
>south as 20 miles north of Manhatten.
>
>I heard from someone growing Honeycrisp in a Z9 desert climate (inland CA)
>that it is a great apple there.  I'm thinking it's main requirement is cool
>nights as it ripens which didn't happen here this year.
>
>I've recently learned that chill requirements don't necessarily apply to
>apples as a result of communications from growers in Arizona and S. Calif.
>One grower is even working with an NGO charity in Africa to produce apples
>as a cash crop there.  By the equator they strip leaves to encourage apples
>to flower in tropical climates.  They've had success with several varieties
>generally thought of as more northern types.  The main difficulty is
>developing good red color.