Dwarf Honeycrisp Apple Tree: Guide to Successful Growing

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The Honeycrisp apple tree is highly praised for producing apples with a crisp, sweet, and tangy flavor. It is well-suited for gardeners in the Midwest and Northern regions of the US, as it thrives in moderate weather conditions.

This article will cover the characteristics and cultivation of a Honeycrisp tree.

How big does a dwarf Honeycrisp apple tree get?

The dwarf Honeycrisp apple grows to a height of 10′-15’. When cared for properly and grown in ideal conditions, Honeycrisp apple trees typically grow to heights of 10 to 12 feet and reach widths of 10 feet or more. Semi-dwarf varieties tend to grow a bit larger, averaging a height and spread of 12-15 feet. 

The dwarf Honeycrisp is an excellent choice, but don’t limit your options. Explore the most popular apple trees for home growers in my detailed article Apple Tree Varieties.

Dwarf Honeycrisp Apple at a Glance

Dwarf Honeycrisp Apple TreeFacts
Mature Height10′ – 12′
Mature Width8′ – 12′
Grow Zones4-9
Spacing8 ft. – 10 ft.   
Bloom TimeApril
Blossom ColorWhite
Years To Bear2 – 5 years
Potential Yield per Tree40 lbs. – 160 lbs.
Ideal SoilAcidic – Neutral
Light RequirementsEight hours of direct sunlight per day
Chill Hours800-1,000
Fruit AppearanceScarlet red with yellow and orange streaks
Fruit TasteCrisp, incredibly sweet, notes of honey

Dwarf Honeycrisp Apple Tree Size

The dwarf variant has a 10′ height and 10′ spread.

Semi-Dwarf Honeycrisp Apple Tree

The semi-dwarf type has a spread of 12–15 feet and a height of 12–15 feet.

How Fast Do Honeycrisp Apple Trees Grow?

Although some Honeycrisp apple trees can bear fruit in as little as two years, they are slow-growing and can require up to eight years to mature. The fruit is available to pluck in early September, and after they blossom in April, they sport pinkish-white flowers.

Are Dwarf Honeycrisp Apple Trees Hard To Grow?

Due to its vulnerability to diseases and fungus as well as challenging growth circumstances, Honeycrisp apple trees could be difficult to cultivate.

Do Dwarf Honeycrisp Apple Trees Need a Pollinator?

The Honeycrisp apple tree, like the majority of apple trees, needs a pollinator to produce fruit. For proper cross-pollination, there must be another apple tree of a different species, preferably growing around 50 feet of the Honeycrisp tree.

What Apple Trees Pollinate Honeycrisp?

Because they thrive in identical Hardiness Zones as the Honeycrisp apple tree, Fuji, Golden Delicious, and Red Delicious apple trees are effective pollinators.

How Long Does It Take a Honeycrisp Apple Tree To Produce Fruit?

Depending on their size, Honeycrisp trees can take anywhere from two to eight years to create their first crop of apples. As long as you take good care of the tree, after it has reached maturity, you should be able to harvest fruit annually.

Honeycrisp Apple Taste

The sugar and acid content of Honeycrisp apples is well balanced, and they have a pleasant scent. The apples are renowned for having a taste that is sweet and mildly acidic, tangy, and fruity.

How Much Fruit Does a Dwarf Apple Tree Produce?

Fruit yields from a dwarf apple tree weigh 40 to 160 pounds.

Can You Grow a Dwarf Honeycrisp Apple Tree in a Pot?

Yes, apple trees can be grown in small pots, although larger is preferable to smaller when in doubt. Make sure it contains drainage holes regardless of size. To make it simpler to move the tree about, use a wheeled foundation to place the pot on.

Do Dwarf Honeycrisp Apple Trees Need Pruning?

Yes. Pruning may enhance your tree’s general health, which eventually promotes the development of more flowers and fruits.

Why Is My Honeycrisp Apple Tree Not Blooming?

The age of the tree is sometimes the cause of non-existent blossoms. Many dwarf and semi-dwarf apple trees need 3 to 5 years after planting to blossom and produce fruit. Typical apple trees may take 5 to 10 years to produce fruit.

In order for an apple tree to blossom, a specified number of hours throughout winter hibernation must be below 45℉. If they do not experience these chilly hours, internal signals get confused, and they fail to recognize the arrival of spring.

Overly active trees put all of their energy into developing wood, not blossom buds. Overfertilization and excessive trimming are the two main causes of this. Heavy nitrogen treatments will promote uncontrolled growth at the cost of floral yield.

How To Plant Dwarf Honeycrisp Apple Tree

A Honeycrisp apple tree is best purchased and planted in the spring or autumn when the ground is chilly but not frozen. In order to be sold as bare root trees, Honeycrisp apple trees must first have been cultivated in the ground, removed during dormancy, shaken free of dirt, and then placed in a container with wet materials.

Here is how you would proceed with planting a new tree:

1. Create a cone-shaped hole in the middle that is twice as broad and twice as deep as the root ball.

2. Adjust the cone’s height such that the crown, which is where the stem and roots converge, is level with the ground.

3. Push down on the earth to compact it and remove any remaining holes as you fill the hole with soil halfway.

4. Two inches from the tree’s trunk, dig a trench all around the tree.

5. Water the tree deeply using this trench. The tree shouldn’t be submerged in water; refrain from overwatering the trench.

6. Space your dwarf Honeycrisp trees 8 to 10 feet apart. Place them 15 to 20 feet apart if they are bigger. They may develop independently of one another as a result.

Dwarf Honeycrisp Apple Tree Care

Sun and Cover

Around eight hours of direct sunshine each day are needed by Honeycrisp apple trees. To prevent the spread of illness and to destroy fungus and bacteria, sunshine is particularly crucial in the morning to remove the dew from the leaves.

Soil 

You should plant your tree in loam soil that drains quickly. Sand, silt, and clay make up the majority of loam soil’s composition. The ideal soil has a pH of between 6.0 and 7.0, which is a slightly acidic or neutral pH.

Fertilizer

Applying fertilizer once a year in the spring will preserve tree development. High-nitrogen fertilizers are the best to use since they encourage the development of plants and leaves and give them a bright green hue. 10-10-10 is one possible grade of nitrogen-rich fertilizer.

Water

To keep the roots of Honeycrisp apple trees wet, they should be irrigated often. You should try to water your tree every day while it’s hot outside, which is normally between May and October. Put the watering can over the tree’s base so that the water may reach the roots 7 inches below the surface.

Zones of Optimal Hardiness

Hardiness Zones 3 and 4, which have yearly minimum average temps between -40 and -20 degrees Fahrenheit, are where the Honeycrisp apple tree thrives. The plants can, however, survive in the warmer regions of Grow Zones 6 and 7.

Dwarf Honeycrisp Apple Tree Pruning

Every spring, prune your Honeycrisp apple tree. Cutting off vertically hanging branches and leaving five to seven horizontal limbs to yield fruit is the optimum pruning technique.

Dwarf Honeycrisp Apple Tree Common Problems

The Honeycrisp apple tree is a difficult type for the home gardener to cultivate since even expert orchardists find it difficult to grow. It is scab resistant but otherwise prone to a variety of illnesses.

Common diseases include fire blight, powdery mildew, and black rot. The wood of the tree is moreover particularly fragile, making it vulnerable to breaking from winds or even merely the load of fruit on its limbs.

Conclusion

You’ll have to put in some effort to acquire the huge and crisp apples that the tree yields since Honeycrisp apple trees are finicky plants that need certain growth and care conditions. If you take gardening seriously, you may be able to cultivate one of these trees.

Not sure whether a dwarf Honeycrisp apple tree is right for you? There are plenty of other options. Learn about these varieties next: