Blue Hill Freedom Apple 2yr Old Bare Root Tree

This grafted apple is a very productive tree that produces apples a year sooner than some of the other very popular disease resistant apple varieties. Freedom is resistant to apple scab, cedar apple rust, powdery mildew and fireblight. The tree you see picture is the same tree I use for my grafted trees. This Freedom apple tree is annually productive with an abundance of apples ripening mid-September and will be dropping from the tree in October and November with a few apples persisting into December. If you like a crisp apple with good flavor for eating out of hand Freedom apple is it.  This tree will reach a mature height of 20’+. Hardiness Zones 4-8.

FREEDOM APPLE

Freedom apple tree is one of the best apple trees for deer! This is a very productive tree that produces apples a year sooner than some of the other very popular disease-resistant apple varieties. Freedom is resistant to apple scab, cedar apple rust, powdery mildew, and fireblight. The tree pictured above is the same one I use for my grafted trees. This Freedom apple tree is annually productive, with an abundance of apples ripening mid-September and will be dropping from the tree in October and November, with a few apples persisting into December. If you like a crisp apple with good flavor for eating out of hand, the Freedom apple is it. Plant Hardiness Zones 4-8.

ROOTSTOCK FOR FREEDOM APPLE

This grafted tree is attached to a standard, cold hardy, and vigorous root. This rootstock is an excellent choice for wildlife trees because it produces a full-size 20′ to 30′ tree. Producing a full-size tree for wildlife means much more fruit on a given tree. A full-size root also extends the life of your tree as it does not restrict the growth.

This rootstock develops deep roots, making it exceptionally well anchored. Therefore, it is also highly drought-tolerant. These roots penetrate well into the subsoil, pulling up lost nutrients. Therefore, this rootstock is an excellent all-around rootstock for wildlife plantings. Freedom Apple is very precocious, with many trees producing quickly even when grafted onto a standard root.

POLLINATION FOR FREEDOM APPLE

Plant at least one apple, apple crab, or crabapple variety near each other for pollination. Grams Gift crabapple, which blooms for a very long period, makes an excellent pollinator for apples and crabapples.

You want to plant different named trees within the apple family for pollination. Therefore, you need to mix the names of the grafted trees when planting, as trees with the same name are genetically identical and, most times, do not pollinate each other.

Picture that bee leaving one tree and hitting the next one. You want that bee to land on a tree blossom with a different name. Trees in the apple family flower over about 14 days, with each tree blooming for around 7 to 10 days. Freedom apple blooms mid-to-late season, therefore providing plenty of pollination to early and late-season trees and receiving plenty.

PLANTING INSTRUCTIONS FOR FREEDOM APPLE

Plant all apples and crabapples in moist, well-drained soil with a pH between 5.8 and 7. This soil should have adequate nutrient levels for optimal growth and fruit production.

If you have not completed a soil test, click here to improve your soil. Many products can supply your tree with the two most essential nutrients: phosphorus and potassium. However, adjust these nutrients when planting your tree or the prior year, as the soil two feet into the earth has never had any amendments, and these two nutrients are not very mobile.

Per a soil test, if your soil pH is lower than recommended, you can adjust it by mixing a few handfuls of pelletized lime into your soil when planting.

Freedom Apple requires 6 hours of sunlight for growth and fruit production. Space trees 20′ apart and use at least 5′ cages to protect your trees. This process will ensure your deer eat your fruit in a few years, not your trees this year.

We also recommend wrapping an aluminum window screen around the base of your tree, using a 2’x 2′ breathable weed mat, and adding 10 gallons of stone to that weed mat.