A few things to consider rootstocks. It will determine the height of the tree and how well to tolerate cold, different type of soli and certain diseases. Google apple rootstocks for information.

i assume Crimson Crisp is an early variety as HC is mid season and Gold Rush is late. I don't worry much about cross pollination. The varieties you choose should be find. If there are crab apples in your neighborhood, you can plant one tree and it will get pollinated.

HC can take many years to fruit on a standard rootstock. It has biennial tendency. Leave yellowing is its genetic disorder. Look ratty but no harm. Not the easiest variety to grow.

GR has a cedar apple rust issue ( many apple varieties have). Need to spray against it. Having cedar and junipers in your neighborhood will make thing worse.

Don't know much about Sun Crisp.

I'd look at the OrangePippen website, it spells out when each variety flowers. It's recommended that their flowering times overlap unless you have a nearby crab apple as the previous post mentioned.

I can relate to the slow HC, but I'm not exactly in the greatest climate for them. But worth a shot....

Jason,

no need to swaet a cross pollination issue. The only thing one needs to know if an apple variety one wants to grow is tripoid or not. Tripoid varieties needs pollinatation partners. Regular diploid varieties, anything should do esp. with crab apples.

I would agree with Jason, in my experience, you get better results when you check that they flower at the same time (just what my experience has been, your mileage will vary). Depending if you are also susceptible to late frosts, this also lets you pick varieties that don't bloom too early (not a big deal with apples, but i never plant anything that blooms early just in case. We have seen frosts in late May here).

HC: 4

GR: 4

CC: 3

looking at that, i wouldn't be too worried about pollination. There is another thread on here that discusses HC and how long it takes to produce. here

Standard sized trees will produce more apples of a single variety. Personally, i prefer more trees (dwarf or semi-dwarf) of different varieties. I also make sauce and cider with my apples so blending them usually results in a nicer taste.

There are way too many apple varieties out there and my yard is only so big, so i don't have many recommendations. Candy Crisp is a nice one for fresh eating and Arkansas Black is a good one for "fresh" eating (once you let it set in cold storage for a few months that is).

My Grandfather was always against summer apples (saying they never taste as good as apples you pick in the fall), so i tend to avoid those, but there are some nice ones out there. They usually don't store very long, but having a dwarf summer apple will give you a smaller crop to start your apple season sooner.

Cedar Apple Rust is the biggest issue i face with apple trees. To treat them, you need to spray with copper before bud break. this is something that you don't want to have to do every year though, as that copper will get into the soil and kill worms and other beneficial insects (at a high enough concentration that is, so it would take a few years of applying copper before it really becomes a problem). So there is definitely an advantage to trees that resist this.

Thank you everyone so far for the comments. I hadn't heard of or thought of copper residue problems-- is that a concern for such a small quantity of trees? After doing some reading, I'm really dissuaded from the HoneyCrisp now, and I'll look into CandyCrisp. I see that Stark Brothers carries it. I think it would be easier to order everything from one nursery, but it seems like I might not be able to do that and get the rootstock details or specific rootstocks I might want for each one. Do you all commonly order from various nurseries?

I was under the impression Arkansas Black was more or a culinary or cider apple than a fresh-eater, but maybe that's just comparing a fresh-off-the-tree taste?

Spitzenberg is a good apple. Better than Honeycrisp or Mutsu (maybe that's only personal opinion). But better than Spitzenberg, if you are okay with a bit more tart apple, is Cox's Orange Pippin.

I've also read Ashmead's Kernel is worth looking into.

Using copper to treat Cedar Apple Rust is unusual. Myclobutanil is the main ingredient fungicide that is very effective against CAR. One of common brands name is Immunox, among others.

ashmead Kernal is a very good choice but it is not an early apple. If you want a disease resistant early apple, check out Williams' Pride. Pristine may even be tasier chioce. Esopus Spitzenburg is a very good tasting apple but not easy to grow.

Check Cummin Nursery or Adam County Nursery for their information about disease resistant apple varieties.

I don't pretend to have a wealth of experience with apples but I did start working for a small commercial producer with about 15 varieties about a year ago. Of our varieties I've enjoyed the galas, jonagolds, and northern spys (and spy golds) the most for eating. And I like pink lady from grocery stores, so generally higher acid apples are my preference. Galas need to be thinned extensively, they don't drop much on their own. Spys bruise very easily. And jonagolds, like many other varieties, don't do well in partial shade (heavy canopy).

As others have suggested examine rootstocks. The geneva series claims resistance to a few common apple diseases. I prefer dwarf and smaller semi-dwarfs--trying to keep a tree smaller than it wants to be is an infuriating activity. For copper, you may not have a choice but to spray every year but you may be able to mitigate this with regular soil amendments that increase organic matter.

I would prefer something on the easier side for growing as I have no experience, and thanks for the suggestions so far. I'm narrowing down to wanting a few late season apples for keeping, as well as a mid-season. GoldRush seems good, as well as candy or crimson (crisp). Any more recommendations for an eas(ier) storage apple for eating?

I feel OP has been improperly dissuaded from Honeycrisp (HC) as mine are not that difficult to produce a crop every year and this is most demanded variety of market apple currently. I would consider HC as an early apple,similar to McIntosh, only 3 weeks after Pristine (summer apple). My new Royal Red HC should even be 10 days earlier.

Selecting root stocks is an exciting challenge. I wouldn't purchase anything taller than EMLA 106, Gisela 6, Geneva (G)890 or Mahaleb- all of which reach 15 ft.

For easier harvest at 12 ft range either EMLA 7, G30 or Gisela 5 might be more appropriate or for a few feet shorter select EMLA 26, G11 or G935. Anything smaller might need support.

Some rootstocks have better tolerance to poor soil, others might sucker less and some have disease and even insect resistance. So study all available from your supplier.

I said HC is not the easiest and let the OP know what issues it may have. On a dwarf or some semi dwarf, the precocity of the rootstock may overcome its biennial tendency. I did not say it is a difficult variety to grow.

Gisela (3, 5 or 6) or Mahaleb are used for cherries, not apples.

G. in apple rootstocks stands for Geneva, not Gisela.

The OP can easily google apple rootstocks and learn which is best for his preference ( height) and soil type and go from there.

rphcfb14, i will have to look for that, i know that Immunox is not sold in my area, but we may have something else with that active ingredient. Our local extension usually recommends copper and sulfur as the preferred fungicides for backyard orchards. Specifically when i called them on the CAR, they recommended a copper spray.