Well, I didn’t mean to imply Sweet Sixteen wasn’t crunchy and sweet. I’m comparing it to apples I really like, like Fuji. My tastes in apples aren’t like peaches. I like a good bit of acid with peaches, but I prefer really sweet and crunchy apples.
As an example, I’m growing Zestar, but really don’t like it that well, because it doesn’t taste sweet enough for me. I like Sansa for that window better because it’s sweeter, although not quite as crunchy.
Im not a zestar fan either. Ive got it grafted on several trees and I dont really like it on any of them. Skin is thick, not super crisp or sweet. Just not a fan. One thing I admire about it is its super aggressive. Zestar branches grow at 2x the rate of most my other grafts… Out of what I have right now I really like honeycrisp, blondee and probably my favorite right now, Shizuka. Huge apples and they are crisp and sweet. My wifes favorite is pixie crunch…
I think it is the climate and dirt… the Zestar is really good here as well as Honeycrisp. I hear others say both Zestar and HC are not very good in their area. Zestar here is almost opposite of your experience. I would love to try pixie crunch, have never had it. I hear good things about it.
Only thing I dont like about HC is the insects seem to LOVE it. They will destroy my HC if not sprayed and completely ignore the zestar…
I think I have posted before about my HC and the bugs and scab and what have you just leave them alone. I’m knocking on wood!!! Other than deer that eat everything, the HC have really been a god send. One day I will get a few Pixie Crunch trees and see if they are the same here as they are for you. There are a few trees that don’t do as well for me as I hear others speak about, one of them is Ginger Gold. I hear good things… but I don’t have the same experience.
@scottfsmith talked in 2015 about maybe growing Sweet Sixteen to see if it does well in the South, contrary to some reports that it only excels in the North.
Got my first Sweet Sixteen today and I’m calling it a keeper. I love the slight licorice taste and there is a hint of cherry lifesaver. Did not taste bourbon. Very crunchy and crisp, juicy. No disease whatsoever so far, unsprayed.
With Northern Spy as a parent I thought I’d have to wait an eternity for apples but not so- maybe three years on a grafted limb that I pulled below horizontal…
A fairly mild flavor so will see if my later ones add some zip. This limb doesn’t get all day sun so will see. A lot of different apples taste "muted’ to me so maybe my taster has aged out.
Recommend picking them before the drop. My drops were mush, not good, even though I check every day.
Scott- has yours fruited?
I’m surprised they aren’t already fully ripe there. I like them best about now on the tree I manage but the squirrels have removed the light crop. I don’t like them when they get to the point of very strong licorice flavor and consider them over-ripe when they get there. They’ve certainly lost their best texture at that point according to my limited experience with it in the climate in S.NY. Also based on my own particular tastes.
I had a couple but some animal got them. This was the first year my graft fruited, hopefully there will be enough next year so I get some.
For what it’s worth, they’re ripening right now in coastal Northern California (10a), and they’re really interesting and tasty here. Still nice and crisp. The yellowjackets like them a bit too much this year, though.
The legendary Jellyman said it was his favorite apple. So I grafted one from Masonville. Very slow growing for me.
Beware: the grower in the 2015 video above posted an update recently that said he lost both his Sweet Sixteen trees when they “melted from fire blight.” Opposite experience of my Colorado friend who says zero blight in 12 years (also zero fruit!). Blight reports on this one are all over the map.
i have 2 sweet 16 and 2 of its parent frostbite scions grafted on my sargents crab last spring. all took. hoping i might be able to taste them next summer. theyve put on about 16in. of growth…
My guess is Sweet-16 might be especially susceptible to terroir effects. I’ve read about other cultivars that change greatly depending on where and under what conditions they are grown. I’ve noticed some major differences from year to year on some of my cultivars.
I just have a graft of Sweet-16 on a multigraft tree. It has grown OK but just a few apples so far. Definite candy flavor to my taste buds. I liked it enough, that I included it in my minitree orchard on Bud-9 but those are a long ways to bearing.
Have a 5 year old Sweet Sixteen tree in my back garden that is developing into a lovely tree. The apples I’ve received to date have been a family favourite and have typically been ready between now (last week of September) and the first week of October.
I do notice that I did receive a fair number of drops this year. Can anyone confirm if this is a tendency of this variety? I’ve come across a video that says that it is but the nursery where I bought it did not mention it in their description.
Thanks!
I’m wondering if I have correct variety. My sweet sixteen was finished 9-12 not my favorite but used them for apple chips after dehydration they were pretty good. To my taste buds no candy flavor. Next year I’ll compare pictures for id.
I will chime in and say first of all, I do not have a Sweet 16 apple tree. Second, I have noticed this year a lot of drops from certain trees and others do not have drops. Where as the years before the drops were rare, unless the apples were very, very ripe or a huge wind storm that had just come through the area. Perhaps you have the same issue there. Just a quick comment.
My Sweet Sixteen is also about 5 years old and was (over)loaded with apples this year. While there were a few drops, but it was really minimal.
@fullplate: Possibly – I live in zone 5b which may explain the timing difference.
@ZombieFruit: Wasn’t a particular good year for my tree. While I wouldn’t call it loaded, I still picked a dozen good apples. Probably as many dropped which could be caused by an event as @MikeC points out. Ontario (where I am) was indeed hit by a significant wind storm this summer which I was away for.
Thanks again for the feedback. I will say, it has been really fun getting to know the nature and habits of this and my other trees.
My Sweet 16 drops a lot of fruit too, but usually it’s ripe or very close to being ripe, while other varieties drop it 2-3 weeks before it’s ripe.
Hi. How is sweet 16 apple tree growing and bearing fruit in hot humid zone 7?
Thanks,
Frank