All about apples, pears, plums, and cherries - and orchards where they are grown

Honeycrisp Apple tree

Owner: David

Location:  Two Rivers, WI, United States

Age:Planted in about 2010
Age of this tree:12 years
Soil:sandy with a little clay 
Climate at this location:Zone 5a - cool, within 1 mile of Lake Michigan
Pruning:yes - being trained and pruned
Tree form:Central leader (widest at bottom)
Height:Between 6ft / 2m and 15ft / 4m
Cropping:Does not usually produce any fruit
Growth:This tree grows easily here
Herbicides:Manual treatment (hoeing and weeding)
Pesticides:Not sure
Local pests:my dog, aphids, apple maggots, rose chafers

Owner's comments

Transplanted as a 3rd-year seedling in April 2010. Doing quite well in spite of my dog tearing several branches off its first year. Unsuccessfully attempted to graft two branches to Ashmead's Kernel and one branch to Esopus Spitzenberg in April 2012. Again grafted one branch Spitzenberg, two branches Kingston Black, and one unknown variety in May 2013. Sadly none of the grafts took again. After zero success grafting, and zero blossoms on this old tree, in 2014, I was beginning to question whether this tree is a seedling that still won't bear for another year or two. Update 2015: Finally, there are a few blossoms this year -- got 5 wonderfully delicious Honeycrisps! Update 2017: Enormously heavy crop this year -- finally! Tree is extremely healthy.

Season records for this tree

  • 2019

    Spring blossom: 3 June
    Very light bloom, thinned to 2 per cluster, only about 30-40.

  • 2018

  • 2017

    Spring blossom: 28 May
    Harvest: 1st week October  40kg / 88lbs
    Size: 3.0m / 10.0ft high   2.5m / 8.3ft wide
    Codling moth: Severe attack
    This is the year!! Major bloom and VERY heavy fruit load. Severely affected by worms though -- perfect fruit a rarity.

  • 2016

    Spring blossom: 27 May
    Harvest: 1st week October  1kg / 2lbs
    Codling moth: Mild attack
    Light bloom but more than last year. Should have gotten ~12 apples but the dog stole all but 4, and 2 are tiny underdeveloped ones.

  • 2015

    Spring blossom: 31 May
    Harvest: 1st week October  1kg / 2lbs
    Size: 2.5m / 8.3ft high   2.0m / 6.7ft wide
    Canker: Not present
    Scab: Not present
    Mildew: Not present
    Fireblight: Not present
    Cedar-apple rust: Not present
    Woolly aphid: Not present
    First few blossoms ever on this old tree! 5 large fruits.

  • 2014

    Size: 2.5m / 8.3ft high   1.5m / 5.0ft wide
    Woolly aphid: Not present
    Still no blossoms or apples! Beautiful though.

  • 2013

    Size: 2.5m / 8.3ft high   1.5m / 5.0ft wide
    Bushed out more, but never bloomed. I am growing concerned.

  • 2012

    Size: 2.5m / 8.3ft high   1.5m / 5.0ft wide
    Hot March, cool April, no bloom. 8 feet high with tons of leaves and branches.

  • 2011

    Size: 2.5m / 8.3ft high   1.0m / 3.3ft wide
    Extremely late spring - leafs in mid-May; 8 feet, lots of branches.

  • 2010

    Size: 2.0m / 6.7ft high   1.0m / 3.3ft wide
    Survived puppy attack, grew from 4-foot height to 7 feet w/ 5 new scaffolds.

  • 2009

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