‘Honeycrisp’ growers intent on preventing bitter pit might want to consider Bud-9 and G969 rootstocks because of their low rates of vigor. Photo courtesy of Washington State University A trial involving ‘Honeycrisp’ apple trees that were fruited for the first time in 2020 supports the premise that rootstock choice strongly affects bitter pit incidence in the popular but disorder-sensitive cultivar. Lee Kalcsits, Associate Professor of Tree Fruit Physiology, Washington State University, concluded as much from a 2017 planting of ‘Royal Red Honeycrisp’ trees that were grafted onto one of 10 different rootstocks. The most successful of those rootstocks last summer were Bud-9 and G.969, both of which boast low rates of shoot growth, i.e., vigor.