An apple variety with the mysterious name Liberty, which means “freedom”, came to our country in the mid-80s. The seedlings were brought from America. Liberty is considered a fairly promising variety, despite its relative youth. It is popular, which is greatly facilitated by its good shelf life and excellent taste.
Description of the variety
The Liberty variety was first obtained by breeders from the United States of America in 1955.The creation of the new crop involved seedlings of apple trees that are famous in Russia - McIntosh and Welsey, as well as not so well-known varieties - Mecount and Rum Beauty. Today, gardeners from around the world, who have become familiar with the description of the Liberty variety, grow apple trees on their own plots, reaping good harvests every year.
Liberty is classified as a late variety, so the end of September and the beginning of October is the time to harvest - medium-sized apples, dark burgundy, with small specks under the skin and a waxy coating.
Liberty apples tolerate any transportation well. And thanks to its good shelf life, the variety is used in individual gardening and for commercial purposes.
Pollination
The fruits of the Liberty apple variety can be set from open pollination, but this is only 6-9%. It is better if the pollinators of apple trees are:
- Idared;
- Florina;
- Mekfri;
- Gloucester;
- Priscilla.
Characteristic
Often the decisive argument in favor of seedlings of this fruit crop is early fruiting. After all, already in the second year you can get the first apples. But this is not the only thing that attracts Liberty gardeners.
Advantages and disadvantages
There are many indicators that make apple trees of this variety more popular:
- high winter hardiness;
- immunity to scab;
- early fruiting;
- grade for commercial use;
- excellent transportability.
The main disadvantage of the crop is considered to be susceptibility to powdery mildew. But gardeners have learned to cope with this problem. Some people claim that when apples sit for a long time, the fruit begins to taste bitter in the middle. But this can also be solved - you can eat apples without waiting for the six months allotted for storage to expire.
Sizes of an adult tree and annual growth
The young seedling grows very quickly.Over time, its ability to form new strong shoots subsides a little. In adulthood, the tree grows from 2.5 to 3 meters, sometimes higher - up to 4.
Productivity, frequency of fruiting
This variety blooms in mid-May. If the pollinators are good, then many fruits will set, which will provide the apple tree with high productivity.
From a good tree, in the conditions of the Stavropol region, up to 250 centners of apples are harvested. Fruiting is stable and increases every year:
- in the 4th year – up to 12-13 kilograms per tree;
- on the 7th - up to forty;
- in the 10th year, the harvest can exceed a hundredweight, or maybe even 60 kilograms.
Proper care is the main thing.
Winter hardiness
The indicator is above average. This only applies to those regions where it is recommended to grow Liberty.
Disease resistance
Liberty apple trees are one of 150 varieties of this fruit crop that are resistant to scab, a terrible disease of fruit crops. Moreover, the variety is absolutely resistant to this disease.
As for resistance to powdery mildew, Liberty does not differ in such resistance.
But timely preventive measures can prevent the development of this disease, which is no less dangerous for the tree.
Tasting assessment
The ratings of the fragrant Liberty apples from tasters turned out to be not the most generous - 4-4.2 points out of 5. Maybe you didn’t like the refreshing sweet and sour taste too much? There is a little more sugar in apples - 8%.
Landing
Both spring and autumn are suitable for this matter. Experts recommend mid-April for planting as the most favorable time for this purpose. But you can plant in May. It all depends on the weather and soil conditions.The seedling can also be planted in the fall, usually in October, when the leaves have fallen. But if you do this a little later, the seedling will adapt to frost.
If you plant in a garden or garden plot, you must leave a distance of at least 2 meters between the apple trees. In commercial plantings, trees are planted in denser rows, with up to 5 meters between them.
Care
For planting Liberty, loamy or sandy loamy soils that are capable of allowing moisture and air to pass through are suitable. To obtain consistently large yields and improve the quality of apples, it is necessary to have pollinating trees nearby so that the soil is nutritious.
But, most importantly, proper care measures must be taken:
- Water regularly and not “from a mug”, but in sufficient quantity.
- The number of waterings will depend on weather conditions. Sometimes three times is enough, but when dry you will have to water at least 5 times. This can be 5 times per season. If your garden uses drip irrigation, you won’t have to count the amount.
- Feed in a timely manner with mineral and organic fertilizers: both for roots and foliage.
- Treat the apple tree against pests and diseases.
Harvest and storage
In the second half of September, the harvest begins. The apples are already fully ripe and ready to amaze with their best qualities.
They should be stored correctly - in cool and dark conditions. High humidity and dampness in the room contribute to rapid spoilage of fruits. If the storage location is a specially equipped refrigerator, apples will not lose their taste and presentation for six months. If stored in an unequipped place, the period is limited to two months.
Variety varieties
Sister Liberty is a variety of the Liberty apple tree.Of course, it is less winter-hardy than its parent, therefore it is recommended mainly for the southern Russian regions. And they grow it on a dwarf rootstock, so the tree is short - it does not grow higher than 2.5 meters. But it begins to bear fruit already in the second or third year, and then bears harvests every year.
Growing in regions
It is believed that the North Caucasus region is more suitable than others for the distribution of Liberty apples. But this does not mean that in Polesie, Central Black Earth, North-Eastern regions and Donbass culture is less promising. Liberty apple trees are not uncommon in gardens and garden plots in the Moscow region.
There will always be interest in fruitful varieties of apples. Liberty is needed by the consumer who eats this fruit, makes all kinds of preparations for the winter from it (jams, jams, compotes), even dries it. Liberty is also interesting to gardeners - often the variety of varieties becomes a brand name.
It is not for nothing that American Liberty apple trees are called the variety without problems. They have gained the most devoted admirers in Russia since their appearance. That’s why Liberty apple trees grow and bear fruit in gardens and garden plots in the Moscow region, southern regions, and Ukraine.
