|
| |||
|
Apples
Blueberries |
The ManyTracks Orchard
Honeycrisp Apple Keepsake x MN1627 (Duchess Oldenburg / Golden Delicious)
University of Minnesota Hort. Research Station
Grafted 2011 -- #1 on Antonovka rootstock inside orchard. (+Valentine graft) First fruit 2023
#2 on wild sapling by outhouse - First fruit 2023
|
Akero |
Hoholik |
|
An interesting apple with such varied reports on fruit quality. Having purchased some really delicious Honeycrisps and some really blah Honeycrisps I decided to go ahead and grow my own. Though I have since moved away from varieties with such common parentage this one did sound like it was hardy and, in spite of all the hype, possibly a good apple. Having grafted it onto two such different rootstocks and locations it will be interesting to see how they compare as they grow and fruit (which they are both taking their good time doing!). 2023 - #1 - Continues fairly vigorous growth. Pruned to keep its branches from crowding less vigorous and younger Valentine. Usual rough leaves. To my great surprise it had 3 apples - a nice smallish one and two medium with some insect damage. Had some more flavor on top of the "sweet" than #2, juicy, flesh clean (no browning). See how they do next years but may turn this tree over to Valentine. #2 - More pruning trying to come up with a reasonable shape. Continues healthy with better looking leaves than its inner orchard sibling. And - finally! - blossoms, many. 10/7 harvested, background color mostly pink & yellow, test one came off easily. Got a peck, 11#, small, medium, med-large. 3 had bird damage. Juicy, crisp but not hard, somewhat 'chewy', very sweet but not much zing. Though pretty at a distance most of the apples were 'lumpy' (insect damage?), and mottled brown throughout flesh. Cut out worst of it and used them in sauce. Not much by itself - needs a zippier apple mixed in. In reading current info on Honeycrisp in the industry there is a lot of discussion (and concern) about its tendency for internal rot. Recent recommendations include not letting the apples get below 38 degrees before harvest or in storage. Given our climate this isn't likely unless I picked it very early before it is ripe. Will give it a few years and see how it goes but likely will graft over to another variety. Nutting graft set a nice single apple - similar to larger graft on Splitter. Gray Pearmain still slowly growing, no fruit yet. Original root stock limb looking mature but no blooms yet. 2022 - #1 - Cut off two low side branches. Doing OK, no blossoms yet. Leaves continue to look rough but overall seems OK. Valentine grafted to it looking good, good growth, catching up to HC limbs. #2 - Cut off large diameter se limb plus 2 top branches, plus minor pruning. Getting towards a better overall shape. Gray Pearmain and Nutting grafts at bottom slow but OK. No blossoms yet. Doesn't get much good sun but leaves are lush green healthy looking, unlike tree in main orchard. 2021 - #1 - Looking good. Valentine growing nicely, too, catching up with HC branches. #2 - Doing fine, thinned some, took top tier off, looks good. Maybe fruit buds? Late to go dormant as usual. 2019 - #1 - Moderate growth on tree. Grafted Valentine on inner shoot of smaller branch. Plan to let it be 1/4 of tree, 3/4 Honeycrisp. Leave as is to be four main wide growing limbs, pruning up and out (don't grow a new central leader). #2 - Looking good. Leaves nice green and healthy, in contrast to rough leaves of #1.
#2 - Good, healthy, mod growth. Last to go dormant. Maybe fruit spurs?? Other grafts slow but doing fine. 2017 - #1 - Caught trimmer in line tying branch down; snapped top half off tree above 4 lowest branches (July 20). Leaves rough, blighted (wet year) but doing OK. #2 - Good growth, healthy green leaves, some blight/holes but better than inside fence tree #1. 2016 - #1 - Not growing up, side shoots longer than center. Pruned them all back a lot to encourage leader. Very rough looking leaves but good growth. Has a leader (barely, sides still want to outgrow it). Grew well, looks better. #2 - Little pruning except for damage/crossed, etc. Looking good overall but leaves rather rough & small this year. Grafted Nutting to lowest south chunky original branch. In fall cut down close Wild Black Cherry tree, also some trees east of it -- should be more sun now. 2015 - #1 - Looking good. #2 - Pruned for shape and some thinning, nice, doing nicely. 2014 - #1 - Pruned off several lower branches, doing well, leaves blightly but held up OK #2 - Thinned out top a little. Spread some limbs. good growth. 2013 - #1 - Growing fine. #2 - Growing fine. grafted Gray Pearmain onto lower east branch. 2012 - #1 and #2 - both growing fine. 2011 - Fedco scion. (#1) grafted at about 14" onto an older Fedco Antonovka rootstock (died Red St Lawrence, planted 2005), transplanted from outside to inside fence east of Dudley. (#2) graft on a vigorous wild sapling by outhouse, top grafted at about 60" up. Online Notes: Winter. Medium-large fruit, mottled and striped red over yellow. Cream-colored flesh is sweet and juicy with hard snapping-crisp texture. Mild aroma and subacid flavor are top quality in September and improve steadily in storage. Unusual because it ripens in early fall yet keeps up to seven months in the root cellar. Tends towards annual bearing. Relatively small low-vigor upright spreading tree. Above-avg scab resistance. Z3-5 |
|||
.