The evans produces good for me and should do better for you. I would choose it just because I am partial to sour cherry pie, jam, and soaked for a few months with white rum or vodka and sugar it makes a wonderful liqueur.

What are some apple tree options ?

Has anybody ever had high production on honeycrisp in Calgary area ? Also thinking about a hardy Mac or the red norkent? I seen Konrad had growing they look very attractive.

I like my large apple tree, the variety is unknown simply because I bought it cheap labeled Mystery apple. But I like it not only for the apples it produces, but because I have grafted it over and have 6 other varieties top worked onto the tree, 4 of which, Discovery, Wynoochee Early, Sweet 16 and Honey Gold will produce their first fruits this year. You can always add varieties you like.

Would one be better to graft honey crisp to something else ?

Well...Norkent is still my favored.

Honey crisp is apple maggot magnet!..But you can always spray or bag, some years they might not ripen.

Do honey crisp produce numbers like norkent?

What is the best high yielding pear or Apple Konrad something good and very reliable . I have one spot thought about another Evans today also Juliet but maybe a nice single apple or pear would be sweet too

I had Honeycrisp for 2 seasons fruiting only and I was pleased with the production.

Pears can take a long time to fruit and you need a pollen source,..you can graft also. Still hard to say which is best. So far the golden spice is now given me every year for about 15 years. Have some new Russian like Krazulya, early ripening..will taste some this year it seems, Bolshaya is another and Lada and keep testing more, no fruit yet.

Honey crisp died off in your area I'm assuming ?

Nice thanks Konrad. I spend a lot of money on honeycrisp apples every year lol. What is a good pollinator for it ?will any crab apple work ?

What is the highest producing apple tree? I went looking today and I think sept ruby

I don't want to zone push or mess around with this last spot I have. Id like to put in something that will give me lots of fruit every year quick

Well...with my honeycrisp heaving it only 2 years producing..actually haven't checked now for fruit set but that wouldn't be a very liable source of info. for you. Most all apples are toast, fried, kaput out @ the orchard with around minus 7C. It will be another year of mostly growing Lots of wood for moose and pruning!

Sept. Ruby seems heavily loaded one year but nothing next.

My annual producer and reliable at home is Collet, the least effected by maggots.

When I look back and think about it..as you mentioned, hard to beat is Evans cherries!

Also most frost resistant ..survived minus 7C! From today, this one is grafted to pin cherry, growing along the bush.

Those are awesome Konrad.

I want ant to get a big tree only certain variety of apples come big like 1.5" thick trunks

I can find a few nice size honey crisp trees ,did you say you're honey crisp is heaving with fruit this year ? Or was that a typo ?

I seen some sept ruby trees heaving with fruits that's why I asked they were decent sized trees not huge .

My honey crisp didn't seem to flower this year, no apples this year.

lovely fruit set Konrad. Global warming has allowed my small Montemorency cherry to set a few fruit. I debated pulling it out but why bother when it is not in a location that I need for anything else.

Interesting your Evans is on Pincherry, does this help for frost resistance or fruit set? I have a ton lining my yard, it might be interesting to graft some over. I am not short on scion wood and in the spring I get "grafting fever" I am sure my husband moans every time he sees me stalking the yard with knife in hand, and wonders what tree will be the next victim.

Matt, Did you look up Goodland apple? Very good, large eating apple, but I am not sure about productivity.I think that is a hard call here in the North, it is either feast or famine. But if you are willing to thin do you think Sept. Ruby would produce each year? It is a beautiful apple.

konrad do your apples produce more reliably and heavily than your plums ?

LOL ubro!

I used to think that Evans on pin cherry is a little more frost resistant then on their own roots, but now I believe it's because mine are grafted along the bush and gives more shelter. The others I have on their own roots also set good this year, even with around minus 7C.

Matt yes, over the years apples do better at home,..only got Collet, Norkent and

Honeycrisp. Collet I put in the ground in 1981, a little slow grower, ..and took about 4 years for it to fruit but it seems it never rested one year, it is self thinning!

On the Sept. Ruby, the hand thinning doesn't work for annual production I found out, still sets out a year...but you get larger apples.

Could that not be fixed by grafting a bunch or norkent and few other good variety to a sept ruby. I found some amazing sept ruby trees all pretty with loads of fruit tall nice trees. With about 1-1/2" thick calipers.

Or there is some very big tall honey crisp trees 2" caliper that will fill that area but no fruit easily . I could graft the heck out of it and have a sweet cool tree .

Read a number of convos about honeycrisp when I was researching apples this year. Most stated that HC out of the east in colder climates were fabulous. Those grown in say Washington/Oregon were not the same or rated as highly. Realizing location and soil is a huge markers of fruit quality you can't really control.

How were your HC apples for taste and texture Konrad?

I have a HC two year old tree so I hope to find out whether it's a yay or nay in a couple years. Since planting the tree, I've bought a few apples and they've all been modestly ok in flavour. Nothing great. Texture is crisp but not magical.....

Also read that HC is a finicky tree, tough to grow, tough to fruit and sparse fruiting. Another write up says its disease resistant. So I'm not sure what the truth really is - area dependant perhaps

My brother put one in two years ago and has got fruits both years since ? I should go check it out again and see how it's doing.

September Ruby is going to give you more apples than will Honeycrisp. Odyssey will give you lots, but tennis ball size and similar to Gala.

Yeah..I don't think honey crisp will be at their best in zone 6, mine tasted fine but not as good as Norkent, haven't tasted a nice one yet at our local show. I don't think HC will be a reliable producer ...and some years hardly will ripen.