So I have lost my tags on my apple trees and other than my honeycrisp, have no idea which tree is which. I only had one tree set fruit this year as they are still fairly young and would like to try and identify what the variety it is. The tree seemed to bloom early, a few weeks ahead of another tree I have. Below is a current picture of one of the apples. It looks like it is ripening up early. I’m in zone 5. It could be snow sweet, sweet 16 or zestar. Based on what I see, I am guessing Zestar.
Yes, Zestar! is an early bloomer.
It looks like Zestar!.
Young Zestar trees have a habit of being tip-bearers like it looks like some of your apples are. Well, I’d call it a precious tip-bearing habit where the fattest shoots from last year will put on flower buds without having developed spurs.
How do you like your Zestar? How is the taste and texture? How long before they get soft/mealy?
Just curious. I want to get an earlier apple to put in my orchard but my family hates mushy apples. Most early apples fits this description. I have a Monark apple tree growing but no fruit, so far.
I have a Zestar tree, it has fruit buds on it, so we ought to get some apples off it, if the freezes don’t get it. It fruited a couple years ago, only got a couple apples off it. They had yellowjacket damage, but the untouched part was very tasty. Sweet and tart, and crisp.
We’ve had Zestar’s from an orchard in Paris, KY, they were not mealy/mushy at all, and keep a few weeks. To me they taste like a milder Honeycrisp. I think it’s a very good early apple. It also is also usually a very early bloomer.
I would describe them as very crisp like a honeycrisp but with a little more tart to go along with the sweet.
It’s my earliest apple, often ready to eat by mid August where I’m at, zone 4 Minnesota.
Mine were not soft or mealy at all, but I didn’t have enough to last long enough to check out long -term keeping qualities. They are a winner in my book.
These are Zestars grown in AK, they ripen here in mid September. Apple is very crisp and juicy, slightly tart was others had mentioned, They are one of my favorites, we are limited as to which varieties will ripen here. They ripen almost a month later then in MN.
We just don’t get the heat units and the ground stays relatively cold. The hours of sun and cool nights sure help for growing brassica, and a lot of root vegetables (sweet crispy mild flavor). Seems every climate has it’s sweet spots for growing.
Old thread, I know. I did a search for Zestar and this one caught my eye.
I have a mislabeled tree that cranks out fruit every year. It’s been a healthy tree with fast, rather upright growth, nice natural branch angles (fruit load has helped to train the branches I suppose) and annual production. They are ripening now and will continue to do so for another 7-10 days. Zestar? The other fruits are crabs from another tree.
I don’t think Zestar is very highly flavored and find it to be a good but not great early apple. I’ve grown to prefer Sansa, and I don’t necessarily lean towards sweet apples at all- Sansa is crazy sweet. But the Cox in Sansa keeps it interesting for me. Of course, my opinion could change. I used to be a strong endorser of Zestar. Also apples vary quite a bit season to season and Zestar hasn’t impressed me recently. It is an easy and precocious apple, but so is Sansa.
