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Honeycrisp apples are known for their large size, but they have been visibly smaller in recent months. Emily Lutz, executive director of the Nova Scotia Fruit Growers Association, explained why in an interview with CBC Radio’s Information Morning.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Information Morning – NS5:38Why Honeycrisp apples are smaller this year
The Honeycrisp apple is known for being a colossal fruit, but they’ve been noticeably smaller over the past few months. Emily Lutz with the Nova Scotia Fruit Growers’ Association explains why.
I was out shopping for Honeycrisps and there was a big barrel of them at Noggins Corner Farm Market. I was rifling through to try and find the big ones and they were all just very tiny. Is this because of the drought last summer?
Yes. With the lack of rain last summer, many of our different apple varieties struggled to reach market grade. Apples are primarily made of water, so they simply don’t grow as large in dry years.
Nova Scotia Honeycrisps are usually so robust that we actually struggle because they get too big for standard market grades. We typically have to work hard to keep them at a reasonable size that a consumer can actually finish.
Why do they get so big?
It’s partly genetics, but it’s also due to how we grow them. Modern orchards use much smaller trees. The apples get exposed to far more sunlight because there are fewer leaves and branches to shade them, which also helps them develop that beautiful colour.
Farmers also practise crop load management, calculating exactly how many apples a specific tree canopy can sustain. If you leave too many apples on a tree, they won’t grow to their full potential.
If you let the Honeycrisp be and allow it to grow and grow — how big can one apple get?
They can get very big. I’ve seen comparisons to the size of a baby’s head. The amazing thing about the variety is that they still taste fantastic, even when they get that large.
I know the drought has shrunk them, but can we expect them to return to form? Can that even be predicted yet?
If we have a normal season with enough water and sunshine, they will return to normal. The drought doesn’t leave a permanent impact on the future size of the fruit. If the weather variables align this year, the Honeycrisps should return to their enormous selves.
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Are we getting enough rain for this to happen so far? And how much more do we need for these apples to continue growing to the sizes we’re used to seeing them?
We are still at a bit of a water deficit compared to last year because the land and water tables are still recuperating. Orchard trees have deep root systems, making them highly efficient at pulling moisture from deep underground, so they are generally quite resilient.
We won’t know the long-term impact of last year’s drought on the orchards’ overall health for a couple of years. However, we had a decent bloom this season. Because it was cold, the flowers stuck around for a long time, giving bees an extended window to pollinate. A lot of factors will play out between now and the October harvest, but there is good reason to be hopeful.
