<< back to main Apples Below: 'Haralson' resulted from the challenge to grow apples in Minnesota's harsh winters and was one of the first introductions by the U of M Agricultural Experiment Station. Almost 80 years old, yet still a favorite for fresh eating and baking, this tart fruit grows well in Minnesota conditions. H A R A L S O N R E G E N T K E E P S A K E H O N E Y G O L D FOR MORE INFORMATION: Apples for Minnesota, FO-1111 Pruning Fruit Trees, MI-0556 Home Fruit Spray Guide FO-0675 Z E S T A R ! Above: 'Zestar!'TM apple is the newest introduction from the U of M, selected for outstanding fresh eating quality and storage ability for an early apple. Marketable quantities of fresh fruit will be available by 2003. Left, 2nd image from top: 'Regent' is named after the U of M Board of Regents. It is an attractive, red striped apple with well-balanced flavor that is excellent for fresh eating and baking. Left, 3rd image from top: 'Keepsake' is a small to medium apple, a 'lunchbox' variety, just the right size for kids' appetites. It is also popular because of its very sweet, almost sugarcane like flavor. Excellent for long storage. Left, bottom: 'Honeygold' has 'Golden Delicious' as one of its parents. It is very crisp with excellent, juicy sweet flavor. GROWING APPLES is fun and rewarding, but failure to bear fruit is a common problem. Several factors may account for this including inappropriate site, improper cultural care, insufficient sunlight, stress from insects or disease, or poor pollination. A plant only blooms when it reaches maturity. Most standard fruit trees require five to seven years after planting before they will bear fruit; dwarf trees usually bear within three years. Fruit trees require at least eight hours of direct sun daily to grow, flower, and fruit well. Annual pruning and pest management is also required to maintain optimum health. But even with good cultural practices, a particularly harsh winter or a hard freeze in early spring can ruin that year's flower buds. Fruit trees that bloom very early, such as apricots, tart cherries and plums are especially vulnerable. Even rainy weather during bloom can reduce or eliminate a crop by hindering the insects necessary to pollinate the flowers. Apples, apricots and hybrid plums require that two different varieties be located within 100 feet for pollination to occur. H O N E Y C R I S P 'Honeycrisp'TM apple is extremely crisp and juicy with a well balanced flavor, a true breakthrough in eating quality achieved by U of M apple breeders. The variety was 30 years in the making, from the original cross of two parents to the final introduction in 1991. The fruit stores for a remarkable six months - under normal refrigeration - and is exceptionally popular with consumers. To meet the demand, U.S. growers planted nearly 750,000 'Honeycrisp'TM apple trees in the 1990s. It is the most widely planted variety in Minnesota orchards and is being tested in other apple growing regions of the world including Europe, South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia. Key to Tables Varieties are listed with year of introduction. Bold type indicates these are available from retail nurseries. Regular type indicates heirloom varieties with limited availability. U OF M APPLES Zestartm 1998 very early, balanced flavor, stores well, ripens Aug. 6-13 Honeycrisp 1991 crisp and juicy, excellent fresh eating, very long storage, Sept. 20-28 Keepsake 1978 small, sugarcane flavor, long storage life, Oct. 11-19 State Fair 1977 crisp and juicy, Aug. 18-24 Sweet Sixteen 1977 fresh eating and cooking, sweet, Sept. 19-27 Honeygold 1970 fresh eating and cooking, sweet, crisp, yellow, Oct. 9-17 Red Baron 1970 fresh eating and cooking, tart, ripens Sept. 12-20 Regent 1964 balanced flavor, Oct. 9-17 Fireside 1943 excellent fresh eating, very large, stores well, Oct. 13-20 Prairie Spy 1940 cooking, striped, Sept. 27-Oct. 5 Beacon 1936 fresh eating or sauce, Aug. 20-28 Haralson 1922 fresh eating and cooking, tart, medium-sized, stores well, Oct. 3-10 Lakeland Oriole Redwell 1950 1949 1946 Victory Minjon Folwell 1943 1942 1921 Wedge Minnehaha 1921 1920 CRABAPPLES GROWN FOR FRUIT Centennial 1957 very hardy, excellent for eating, cooking Chestnut 1949 russetted fruit, large for a crab, fine flavor and texture Northland 1957   << back to main

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