Honeycrisp Apple Tree Guide

Honeycrisp apple trees grow crisp fruit with a sweet and slightly tart taste. While generally considered challenging to grow, these trees live best in cooler climates, making them a good choice for gardeners in the Midwest and northern U.S. Even though this plant grows delicious apples, Honeycrisp trees need regular care to produce good fruit.

In this guide, we’ll explain what a Honeycrisp tree looks like, how to plant and take care of it, and where you can buy one.

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Honeycrisp Apple Tree Specifications

You can use the table below to find out more about Honeycrisp apple trees, including its fruit and growing features.

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Honeycrisp Apple Tree Appearance

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Honeycrisp Apple Trees Growing Conditions

Before you decided whether this is the right tree for your yard or garden, take a look at the optimal growing conditions for Honeycrisp apple trees.

• Sun and shade: Honeycrisp apple trees require about eight hours of direct sunlight every day. This sunlight is especially important in the morning to dry the dew from the leaves, which will help reduce the spread of diseases and kill fungi and bacteria.
• Soil: You should plant your tree in well-drained soil, specifically loam soil. Loam soil is mostly made of sand and silt with a little clay. The pH of the soil should be between 6.0 and 7.0, meaning a slightly acidic or neutral pH soil is best.
• Fertilizer: You can maintain tree growth by applying fertilizer annually during the spring. The best type of fertilizer to use is one with high levels of nitrogen because that promotes plant and leaf growth and a vivid green color in leaves. One potential nitrogen-rich fertilizer grade is 10-10-10. Fertilizer grades are broken into their primary ingredients—nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. The 10-10-10 grade means that the fertilizer is 10% nitrogen, 10% phosphorus, and 10% potassium.
• Water: Honeycrisp apple trees should be watered regularly to keep the roots moist. When temperatures are high, which is typically between May and October, you should water your tree daily. Hold the watering can or hose over the base of the tree to allow for the water to penetrate 7 inches down into the root system.
• Ideal Hardiness Zones: The Honeycrisp apple tree grows best in U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Plant Hardiness Zones 3 and 4, which have average annual minimum temperatures between -40 and -20 degrees Fahrenheit. However, the plants can still survive in grow Zones 6 and 7, which have warmer climates.
• Pruning: Like most fruit trees, Honeycrisp apple trees require careful pruning to yield the best crop. Prune in late winter or early spring when tree growth is dormant. Cut off any broken, dead, or diseased branches, as well as branches that are growing vertically. Once the fruit starts growing, you should also prune away excess buds so that there’s a space of about 8 inches between individual apples. This will help grow the largest, tastiest fruit.
• Pollination: Honeycrisp apple trees don’t self-pollinate, so they need other apple trees that are 6–12 feet away to help with fertilization. Fuji, Golden Delicious, and Red Delicious apple trees work well as pollinators because they survive in the same hardiness zones as the Honeycrisp apple tree.

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How To Plant a Honeycrisp Apple Tree

Honeycrisp apple trees aren’t grown from seeds—instead, fruit-bearing branches are grafted on to rootstocks and sold as saplings. Honeycrisp apple saplings are typically sold as bare root trees, meaning that the tree was grown in the ground, pulled out while it was dormant, shaken free of soil, and stored in a container with moist material. This is the easiest way to transport an already growing tree.

The best time to buy and plant a Honeycrisp apple tree is in the spring or fall when the ground is cold but not frozen. Once you have a sapling in your possession, here’s how to plant your tree:

1. Dig a hole twice as wide and twice as deep as the root ball, leaving a cone of soil in the center.
2. Adjust the height of the cone so that the crown—where the trunk meets the roots—sits at soil level.
3. Fill the hole up halfway with soil and then continue filling the hole, pushing down on the soil to eliminate any holes.
4. Create a shallow trench around the tree with a radius of 2 inches from the trunk.
5. Use this trench to thoroughly water the tree. Avoid overwatering the trench—the tree should not be in standing water.

If properly planted and maintained, you will see your first apples in two to five years for dwarf Honeycrisp apple trees and seven to eight years for full-size trees. White blossoms should appear during April, and the apples themselves will be ripe and ready to pick by September.

Potential Honeycrisp Apple Trees Problems and Solutions

Honeycrisp apple trees can experience common issues as with any type of plant. Learn more below:

• Scab and other fungal diseases: Honeycrisp apple trees are prone to apple scab and other fungal infections, which cause dark spots on leaves and fruit. Choose disease-resistant rootstock when possible, prune regularly for better airflow, and apply a fungicide in early spring as a preventative measure.
• Fruit splitting or cracking: Honeycrisp apples are known for splitting on the tree, especially during heavy rains or uneven watering. Water consistently throughout the growing season and mulch around the base of the tree to help regulate moisture levels.
• Poor pollination: These trees are not self-pollinating and won’t produce much fruit without a compatible pollinator nearby. Plant another apple variety—like Fuji, Gala, or Golden Delicious—within 50 feet to ensure cross-pollination.
• Sunburn on fruit: Honeycrisp apples are sensitive to sunburn, which causes sunken, discolored patches on the fruit. Avoid heavy pruning that exposes fruit to harsh sunlight, and consider using shade cloth if sun exposure is intense.
• Weak branches and heavy fruit loads: The weight of the apples can cause branches to break, especially on young trees. Thin the fruit early in the season and support branches with stakes or ties to prevent damage.

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Our Conclusion

Honeycrisp apple trees can be a bit finicky, needing the right growing conditions and regular care to produce their signature large, crisp apples. If you’re an experienced gardener, you might enjoy the challenge of growing one. But if you’re just getting started, it may be easier to begin with a lower-maintenance fruit tree, like a plum tree.

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FAQs About Honeycrisp Apple Trees

Are Honeycrisp apple trees hard to grow?

Honeycrisp apple trees may be difficult to grow because of their susceptibility to infections and fungi and very specific growing conditions. Honeycrisp trees take 2–8 years to produce their first apples depending on the tree’s size. Once the tree has matured, you should see fruit every year as long as you properly care for the plant.

How far apart should you plant Honeycrisp apple trees?

It’s recommended that you plant dwarf Honeycrisp trees 8–10 feet apart, and plant full-size trees 15–20 feet apart. However, since Honeycrisp apple trees don’t self-pollinate, you’ll need another apple tree of a different variety planted close by to make sure your Honeycrisp apple trees are fertilized.

Why are Honeycrisp apples so expensive?

Honeycrisp apples are more expensive than other apple varieties because the trees are more difficult to grow, and apples are more difficult to transport than other varieties. Demand for Honeycrisp apples has also exponentially increased in recent years.

SweeTango, Jazz, Ambrosia, Sweet Lady, and Enterprise apples all have similar flavors and textures to Honeycrisps. These apple varieties are not only more affordable at the grocery store, but also easier to grow, which makes them a good choice if you want a similar apple for less hassle.

Where was the Honeycrisp apple tree developed?

The Honeycrisp apple tree was developed by the University of Minnesota and is a hybrid of Macoun and Honeygold apple cultivars.