Honeycrisp Apple (malus "Honeycrisp")

I have been thinking about growing Honeycrisp apples for a couple of years and have the opportunity to purchase from Releaf Michigan. (Note I have purchased from them before with satisfaction and I like their mission.) I've read this variety requires two trees to pollinate--has this been your experience? I ask because not all resources indicate the need for two trees. Also, have there been any special care needs you would recommend for a good harvest (I understand it will be about 5 years). I am a very experienced gardener but I have little experience with fruit trees. I live in southeastern Michigan in a subdivision about 7 miles from an urban center. The soil is about 2 feet of clay and then gives way to sand. Thanks!

Hi Lindy,

I am not an experienced fruit grower but I researched the cross-pollination question myself earlier this spring. I learned that the Honeycrisp does need another variety for pollination. For best cross-pollination you want another variety that blooms at about the same time. Honeycrisp is in flowering group 4, in other words, a late mid spring bloomer (good for your area!). According to OrangePippin -- a fruit growing web site -- and Stark Brothers, here are other some other flowering group 4 varieties that would be good cross-pollinators for Honeycrisp: Akane, Arkansas Black, Braeburn, Cameo, Empire, Enterprise, Fuji, Gala, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Jonathan, Jon-a-Red, Pixie Crunch, Red Delicious and Rome Beauty. Some crab apples also would make a good pollinator. (Manchurian Crab and Hyslop were two I remember).

With clay soil you will want to dig a large planting hole and amend the soil with compost or other well-aged organic matter to lighten up the soil. You can also find out from the Releaf folks what kind of rootstock they use for their apples, and then do some internet research about which of those rootstocks will best tolerate a clay soil.

One important decision to be made before you plant, is whether you want full-sized, semi-dwarf or dwarf trees. Regardless of the kind of root stock, ALL fruit trees need to be pruned every year or at most every two years to keep them healthy and give you the best opportunity for a good harvest.

Beyond that -- there are some really good online & print resources about general care for fruit trees.

Enjoy your trees!

RevMinnow in Northwest Pennsylvania

Even if trees are "self fruitful" I have found having a pollinator significantly increases the amount and robustness of the fruit. The Arkansas Black is delicious, I am in 5b and it is a pain for fruit trees due to late frost. I have to not only get varieties that bloom at the same time, but ones with extremely high chill hours so that the late frosts don't zap the flowers.

As for the standard, dwarf, semi-dwarf debate, look at your available space and when do you want fruit. The standards take 5-8 years to fruit fully, I want my fruit sooner but want a longer lived tree, so I plant semi-dwarves. Cummins nursery is very very knowledgable about root stocks, they graft a huge variety for different climates and soil types.

Clay is the worst soil (in my experience) for fruit trees, they rot if they have wet feet, and don't grow well. I would essentially remove as much clay as possible down to the sand which drains, but a large area around. Then amend with organic matter.

I have a quarter acre and 17 semi dwarf fruit trees :)

Best of luck

Thank you FlagPharmer and RevMinnow. Your information is useful. The trees made it through a long, cold Michigan winter, where we had constant inches of snow on the ground from December through March and are looking very good. They produced no blossoms this year, but I also had several other ornamentals and a peach tree that have blossomed reliably in the past and did not blossom this year. I speculate this past winter had something to do with that.
Happy gardening and thanks again for your wisdom!