Honey "Crisp": description of the variety and cultivation

Today, there are many varieties of fruit crops, especially apple trees.In order to get a regular harvest of fruits, it is necessary to carry out the right agricultural practices concerning a particular variety. Honey "Hani Crisp" - quite a popular culture, which is notable for its individual characteristics and characteristics.

“Honey Crisp” has earned a reputation as one of the best hybrids, it was more actively cultivated in Europe and America, however, over time, the tree migrated to Russian private gardens. The variety has American roots since it was bred in Minnesota. “Honey Gold” and “Macawa” played the role of maternal cultures for crossing. The hybrid is obliged by its name to the taste qualities of the flesh, which, as evidenced by reviews, includes honey flavor and surprisingly crispy flesh when used in a ripe form.

At the end of the twentieth century, the seedlings of this crop were sold in a wide range, which was the impetus for the active cultivation of apple trees around the world.

Cultivation of the hybrid occurs on dwarf or srednerosly stocks. A young apple tree of this variety forms a narrow oval crown, which grows as the tree grows, but at the same time retains a rather compact size.

Due to the winter hardiness inherited from the maternal culture, the Honey Crisp is well developed in regions of dangerous agriculture, for example, in Siberia and other northern regions. The information specified in the description of the variety regarding resistance to negative temperatures is fully confirmed in practice. It is established that the tree does not lose its viability even with a decrease in the thermometer to -35 degrees.

Another feature of the American hybrid is immunity to the main fungal diseases that affect fruit crops. The plant shows resistance to powdery mildew and scab.

As for fruiting, then a specific feature of an apple tree is some periodicity. It manifests itself in uneven yield, where in one year the gardener can get an excess crop of apples, and in the next season the plant will need time to gain strength, so the yield will be minimal. Fruit crops grown on the middle-growing rootstock will be ready for fruit bearing already in the fourth year after planting. As for the dwarf rootstocks, in this case, the first crop can be obtained two times earlier.

Apples will be ready for harvest by the end of September, commodity ripeness of fruits falls on October. Harvested crop stands out for good keeping, so Hani Crisp apples can be stored for up to six months.

Fruits are notable for rather large sizes, the mass of fruits varies in the range of 180-300 grams. With good access of sunlight, the fruits get a red blush, that side of the apple, which was located in the shade, remains with a green color of the peel. Apples are round, but asymmetrical fruits are also found. Due to this feature of the minimum length of the stem and abundant crop yield. As practice shows, from one inflorescence of an apple tree can form up to 4 fruits, which can shade each other.

Most gardeners who cultivate a hybrid for personal use, produce excellent fruit taste characteristics, juicy and crispy flesh. These properties of fruit retain even in the submerged state after long storage. In the taste of apples there is a slight acidity and a very delicate aroma. Taste quality varieties due to the growing region. So, in the northern latitudes, the acidity will become more pronounced. The level of sugar content in apples directly depends on the average temperature, which was maintained in the summer months.

For an objective assessment of the Hani Crisp variety, it is necessary to consider the strengths and weaknesses of the crop.

The positive qualities of the plant include the following qualities:

• high yields of apple trees;
• good keeping quality of fruits, due to which the collected fruits retain their freshness during long shipments;
• the culture belongs to winter-hardy fruit varieties, therefore it is cultivated everywhere;
• the organoleptic qualities of the variety deserve a high score;
• commodity attractiveness of the fruit, due to the correct form of apples and appearance;
• variety belongs to the fruit of universal purpose, so that they can be eaten fresh, as well as used as a raw material for the preparation of juices, jams, preserves;
• the culture has a strong immunity to fungal diseases.

In addition to a number of positive features, this hybrid variety has some drawbacks.

• Due to the fact that the culture is observed the formation of a large number of fruits that ripen on small stalks along the length, it is possible to observe shedding of apples. But similar situations arise with a certain periodicity, and competent agrotechnology allows to minimize these phenomena.
• By lowering the thermometer marks to -40 degrees, which occur in northern latitudes, shoots can partially freeze in the apple tree.
• Harvest of apples "Hani Crisp", sent to storage, may suffer from the defeat of brown spot.

To the planting of young apple seedlings was successful, some guidelines should be followed regarding the location of the culture.

• Fruit tree belongs to the light-loving plants, so the place for the cultivation of apple trees should be selected with distance from other crops, residential or farm buildings. The optimal distance will be a value of three meters.
• In order for the apple tree to develop properly and bear fruit, care should be taken of the soil composition at the site. Best of all, the hybrid grows in loam or sandy loam soil.
• An important point is the level of groundwater occurrence. High bedding (from one and a half to two meters) will adversely affect the frost resistance of the crop.

An important issue relating to the cultivation of fruit crops, is considered competent selection of seedlings. In choosing a young culture, it is better to adhere to the following recommendations:

• the most successful in terms of survival and adaptation will be one-year or two-year saplings of the hybrid;
• When buying planting material, it is necessary to pay attention to the condition of the branches and the root system of the hybrid - they must be flexible and elastic, and also not contain defects or mechanical damages.

The landing of the purchased plant is carried out according to the technology described below.

• Rooting of young apple trees of this variety can be carried out in spring or in autumn. Planting holes for trees are dug up in the fall, if planting is also planned at this time, preparation of the pit is carried out at least four weeks before the planned date of work.
• When planting in the fall, you should try to do all the work before the first frosts come, and if weather conditions do not allow you to do this, the seedlings need to be buried.
• The depth of the pit for the apple should be about 70 centimeters, with a diameter of up to 1 meter.
• In the planting hole, you need to make a nutrient composition, the optimal mixture in this case will be humus mixed with superphosphate, wood ash and potassium sulphide.
• The tree should not contain dry or rotted roots, skeletal roots should not be too long, they should be cut a little with garden shears. If the root system has become too dry, the tree is soaked in water for a day before planting.
• Deepening the seedling in the hole, you need to straighten all the roots, then fall asleep apple soil, tamping it.
• The root neck should be located above ground level by at least 8 centimeters.Excessive deepening will have a negative effect on fruiting, and its high position may provoke a lack of moisture in the hot period.
• After tamping the soil apple should be well moistened. For one seedling will need about 30 liters of water.
• Pristvolny circle should be surrounded with a layer of mulch. For these purposes, suitable hay, humus or rotted manure.

Honey Crisp is quite unpretentious in care, The main agrotechnical measures concerning the apple tree are described below.

• The culture needs regular watering. After each introduction of moisture it is necessary to loosen the soil.
• Mulching of the tree trunk is an obligatory measure that allows you to maintain an optimal level of soil moisture, in addition, a layer of mulch will prevent the growth of weed near the tree.
• The variety responds positively to the introduction of fertilizers.
• The culture sometimes suffers from pest attacks and is affected by some diseases, therefore it needs preventive spraying.
• Sanitary pruning and molding help to avoid the development of many diseases and contribute to the proper growth of culture.
• The neighborhood of an apple tree with other fruit varieties positively affects the crop yield. As a good "neighbors" for the hybrid will make "Aydared", "Granddaughter", "Ruddy Climber".

Care activities depend on the season. In the spring, especially in the northern regions, it is necessary to prune skeletal branches, since their excessive freezing will cause cracking of the bark. As a result, the plant will start gum treatment. If the wounds on the culture still formed, they must be disinfected and treated with garden pitch.

In April, work should be done on formative pruning branches. Before blooming buds, it is necessary to perform a preventive spraying of the culture against parasites and diseases. And also to introduce fertilizers - it is best to use nitrogen-containing preparations during this period.

With regard to irrigation of the culture, in the summer the plant in the sandy soil will need to introduce moisture once every seven days. For other soil types, you can water once a month.

For the destruction of insects that infect green mass, it is necessary to spray the apple tree with insecticides.

In the fruit loading phase, the tree should be fertilized with complex nutritional compounds.

In the fall months, fruit harvesting works begin. The peculiarity of the Honey Crisp variety is the uneven ripening of apples, as a result of which they are harvested in several approaches. After collecting the fruit, the plant is fed with phosphorus and potassium, and weeds and carrion are also removed from the tree trunk. Spraying against pests is carried out by insecticides or fungicides.

Preparatory activities concerning the wintering of crops include watering the tree, if the autumn was too sultry and arid. With the arrival of the first frost, it is necessary to dig up the top layer of soil in the near-ground circle and turn over the laid mulch layer. This method will provide an opportunity to get rid of the pests that took shelter there for the winter. Skeletal branches and the trunk of the apple tree itself must be whitened and covered with breathable material to provide protection from rodents.

Harvest apples should be sent to storage in the basement, however, the moisture level in it should be normal. The most suitable container for storing apples will be wooden boxes, the fruit in them should be put in one row.

According to most opinions of experienced gardeners, the apple tree of the “Hani Crisp” variety during cultivation has proved itself only from the positive side. As the main advantage of culture is its winter hardiness. Among the minuses of the hybrid there is a tendency of the collected fruits to defeat fruit rot and excessive formation of ovaries. However, the correct introduction of fertilizing and regular care of the culture can minimize or even completely eliminate these disadvantages.

Review of apple varieties "Honey Crisp", see the following video.