Description and characteristics of the Liberty apple variety, planting and care features
A variety of apples with the mysterious name Liberty, which means "freedom", came to our country in the mid-80s. The seedlings were imported from America. Liberty is considered a fairly promising variety, despite its relative youth. It is popular thanks to its good keeping quality and excellent taste.
Description of the variety
The Liberty variety in 1955 was the first to be received by breeders from the United States of America. Apple seedlings, famous in Russia - Macintosh and Wells, as well as less well-known varieties - Mecount and Rum Beauty, participated in the creation of a new culture. Today, gardeners from all over the world, who have become acquainted with the description of the Liberty variety, grow apple trees on their own plots, taking good harvests every year.
Liberty belongs to the late varieties, so the end of September-early October is the time to harvest - medium-sized apples, maroon, with small specks under the skin and a waxy bloom.
Liberty apples perfectly tolerate any transportation. And thanks to its good keeping quality, the variety is used in individual gardening and commercial purposes.
Pollination
The fruits of the Liberty apple variety can be set from free pollination, but this is only 6-9%. It is better if the pollinators of apple trees are:
- Idared;
- Florin;
- Mecfrey;
- Gloucester;
- Priscilla.
Characteristic
Often the decisive argument in favor of the seedlings of this fruit crop is early maturity. After all, already in the second year you can get the first apples. But not only this attracts Liberty gardeners.
Advantages and disadvantages
There are many indicators that make apple trees of this variety more popular:
- high winter hardiness;
- scab immunity;
- early fruiting;
- commercial grade;
- excellent transportability.
The main drawback of the culture is considered susceptibility to powdery mildew. But gardeners have learned to deal with this problem. Some people argue that when apples lie for a long time, the fruit starts to taste bitter in the middle. But this is also solvable - you can eat apples without waiting until the six months allotted for storage have expired.
Mature tree size and annual growth
A young seedling grows very quickly. Over time, its ability to form new strong shoots dies down a little. In adulthood, the tree grows from 2.5 to 3 meters, sometimes up to 4 meters higher.
Productivity, frequency of fruiting
This variety blooms in mid-May. If the pollinators are good, then a lot of fruits will be set, which will provide the apple tree with high yields.
Up to 250 centners of apples are harvested from a good tree in the Stavropol Territory. Fruiting is stable, and it increases every year:
- for the 4th year - up to 12-13 kilograms from one tree;
- on the 7th - up to forty;
- in the 10th year, the harvest can exceed a centner, and maybe 60 kilograms.
Proper care is essential.
Winter hardiness
The indicator is above average. This only applies only to those regions where it is recommended to grow Liberty.
Disease resistance
Apple Liberty is one of the 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 the resistance to powdery mildew, here Liberty is not distinguished by such resistance.
But timely preventive measures taken can prevent the development of this disease, which is no less dangerous for the tree.
Tasting assessment
The tasters' assessments of the aromatic Liberty apples were not the most generous - 4-4.2 points out of 5. Maybe you didn't like the refreshing sweet-sour taste too much? Sugar in apples is slightly higher - 8%.
Landing
For this business, both spring and autumn are like. Experts recommend mid-April for planting, as the most successful time for these purposes. But you can plant it in May. It all depends on the weather and soil conditions. You can plant a seedling in the fall, usually in October, when the foliage will fall. But if you do this a little later, the seedling adapts to frost.
If you plant on a garden or garden plot, you must leave a distance of at least 2 meters between the apple trees. For commercial plantings, trees are planted in rows more densely, and up to 5 meters are left between them.
Care
For planting Liberty, loamy or sandy loam soils are suitable, which are capable of passing moisture and air. To get consistently large yields and improve the quality of apples, it is necessary that pollinating trees grow nearby, so that there is nutritious soil.
But, most importantly, proper care measures must be taken:
- Water regularly and not "out of the mug", but in sufficient quantity.
- The number of waterings will depend on the weather conditions. Sometimes three times are enough, but you will have to water it on dry land at least 5 times. This can be 5 times per season. If you use drip irrigation in your garden, 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 from pests and diseases.
Harvesting and storage
In the second half of September, the harvest begins. The apples are already fully ripe, and are ready to amaze with their best qualities.
They should be stored properly - in cool and dark. High humidity and dampness in the room contribute to the early deterioration of the fruit. If the storage place is a specially equipped refrigerating chamber, within six months the apples will not lose their taste and presentation. If stored in an unsuitable place, then the period is limited to two months.
Varieties of 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 that the tree is undersized - it does not grow higher than 2.5 meters. But it begins to bear fruit already in the second or third year, and then brings harvests annually.
Growing in regions
It is believed that the North Caucasus region is more suitable for the distribution of Liberty apples.But this does not mean that culture is less promising in Polesie, Central Black Earth, North-Eastern regions and Donbass. Apple trees of the Liberty variety are not uncommon in the gardens and vegetable gardens of the Moscow region.
There will always be interest in fruitful apple varieties. Liberty is needed by a consumer who eats this fruit, makes all kinds of preparations for the winter (preserves, jams, compotes) from it, even dries it. Liberty is also interesting for gardeners - often a variety of varieties becomes a brand name.
Apple trees of the American Liberty variety are not in vain called a variety without problems. They have found the most loyal admirers in Russia since their inception. Therefore, in the gardens and garden plots of the Moscow region, southern regions, Ukraine, Liberty apple trees grow and bear fruit.
