Chestnut crab, liberty, enterprise, winecrisp?

[MN guy]

I’m wondering if anyone has experience with these trees and when they drop? I am in central MN zone 3/4 line. Thanks.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

https://habitat-talk.com/threads/apple-trees-for-deer.13161/ - good thread from Sandbur.

If you haven't purchased trees yet, you might want to be cautious with liberty and enterprise. I've seen others here saying they have had cold tolerance issues in climate like you mentioned. The liberty I planted last year on the 4a/4b border died back a bit on the main leader over winter and I believe the same happened with an enterprise i planted on the 4a/3b border.

 

[b116757]

Yes zone 3 enterprise and liberty both had winter kill issues for me also.

 

[MN guy]

Thanks WG. Great thread by Sandbur, I had not seen that one yet..

 

[b116757]

Zone 3 I’d try

Fireside/Connell Red
Haralson
Northwest Greening

And lots of crabs their bullet proof and productive generally

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Sandbur's the man for northern apple and crab recommendations & info.

 

[silver_yummies]

Zone 4B and chestnut crab and Liberty have been rock solid. Enterprise has been 50/50 for me dealing with cold and surviving.

 

[MN guy]

Anyone have any experience with Freedom?

 

[Wind Gypsy]

Anyone have any experience with Freedom?

sorry, no experience.

 

[b116757]

I do have freedom but on my zone 6 location solid disease resistance for me there.

 

[bwoods11]

I’m an apple novice, but Chestnut crab is a great choice ! Mine are doing very well in Mn !

 

[Wind Gypsy]

Yeah, i'm only a little over a year in and my chestnut crabs seem to be growing as well or better than anything. Liberty is putting on as much growth but i bought it as a whip last year from central MN and it had some dead growth at the top and then exhibited the same this spring on some of last year's new growth.

 

[TenPoint]

Anyone have any experience with Freedom?

Freedom was one of the first trees I planted in 2011. They have been reliable producers in zone 4a.

 

[b116757]

I also have Redfree it’s another solid choice for zones 4-8 as far as disease resistance. I love my apple trees but do wish I’d of planted more crabs particularly for wildlife plantings.

 

[ruskbucks]

https://habitat-talk.com/threads/apple-trees-for-deer.13161/ - good thread from Sandbur.

If you haven't purchased trees yet, you might want to be cautious with liberty and enterprise. I've seen others here saying they have had cold tolerance issues in climate like you mentioned. The liberty I planted last year on the 4a/4b border died back a bit on the main leader over winter and I believe the same happened with an enterprise i planted on the 4a/3b border.

Mine also

 

[PatinPA]

Yeah, i'm only a little over a year in and my chestnut crabs seem to be growing as well or better than anything. Liberty is putting on as much growth but i bought it as a whip last year from central MN and it had some dead growth at the top and then exhibited the same this spring on some of last year's new growth.

I got a Chestnut last year from Blue Hill. So far it looks great. Obviously not producing yet but it's really grown well.

 

[chummer]

Kerr would be my first choice. The year of the polar vortex killed all my Liberty and Enterprise. Kerr and Dolgo both survived -47 and many -30 days.

 

[MN guy]

sorry, no experience.

Kerr would be my first choice. The year of the polar vortex killed all my Liberty and Enterprise. Kerr and Dolgo both survived -47 and many -30 days.

Does dolgo hold any late or do they all drop in Sept.?

 

[Wind Gypsy]

Does dolgo hold any late or do they all drop in Sept.?

Here's another @sandbur thread related to drop time https://habitat-talk.com/threads/crabapple-timeline.10343/ - IIRC he has some dolgos that hold on for a while longer than the standard late august-late sept that I have read.
Here's a drop chart from Blue Hill who sells most of the preferred deer apple varieties https://bluehillwildlifenursery.com/fruit-drop-time-maturity-chart/ Note that he's in a little warmer zone than you so things might vary but that chart seems like a good reference.

Wish I could give ya first hand experience since i'm in a similar area as you but I'm new to this and my trees are young.

 

[PatinPA]

I have a couple wild crab seedlings (Dolgo I'm assuming) from Blue Hill that I'm debating on letting them stay as Dolgo or attempting to graft. Any thoughts to not doing that? Definitely a benefit grafting to something known. I have two of them in one specific location. My goal is to have one start dropping in September and then one in Oct/Nov.