'Liberty' apple cross pollinator

General Fruit Growing
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Hey all, anyone have suggestions for x-pollinator for Liberty? I’m in richmond Va. Zone 7. My tree is healthy and finally properly pruned… I hope. Also, can I get away with grafting the cross as I have little extra space.
Scionwood sorces?
Greg

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Liberty is Pollination Group 2 which means any tree from Groups 1, 2 or 3 should do the trick. Chestnut Crab or Shockley would be my recommendations.

We have many fine members who do scions in the trade/sell section. I hate to recommend one while forgetting others.

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Whatever your choice, you could graft it to Liberty. Note however that Liberty is triploid so it cannot pollinate other apples. So don’t select the pollinator expecting apples from it unless you have another pollinator in the neighborhood. Often there’re other apples, including crabs.

Edit: My comment on the policy of Liberty was wrong, presumably based on an error at Orange Pippin. Liberty is evidently diploid.

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Are you sure about that?
Liberty I’ve seen has always been a diploid apple.

Edit: Cummins lists it as such.

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Thanks all for your help. Is there a definitive source for the diploip, triploid answer?

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[quote=“DownlakeGarden, post:4, topic:69478”]
Are you sure about that?
Liberty I’ve seen has always been a diploid apple.
[/quote

Well, I have no 1st-hand evidence. Like the rest of us, I “know” what I read. My notes on Liberty have it as a triploid. This commentary from Orange Pippin leans that way. But I’m open to other opinions / evidence.

I grow Liberty along with some triploids and many diploids, so I don’t really care one way or the other.

Edit: After further research, I agree that the consensus seems to be that Liberty is diploid. No doubt the source for my note was Orange Pippin. I’ll amend my comment above.

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Looks like this is already sorted out, but triploid apples tend to be very vigorous. My personal observation of my ‘Liberty’ tree is that it is of a more standard vigor.

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The USDA has Liberty listed as a diploid if that helps.

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Yeah, I agree.

I’m a big fan of triploids, due the vigor and productivity. The other triploids I grow are Winesap, Roxbury Russet, Ashmead’s Kernal, Jupiter, Zabergau Reinette, Claygate Pearmain, Belle de Boskoop, Bramley’s Seedling. If any of these turn out not to be triploid, please let me know! :slight_smile:

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Are there two “Liberty” cultivars?

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I really have no reason to believe so. Orange Pippin’s claim is hedged.

What’s the method for determining whether a cultivar is diploid or triploid? Are these tests routinely run? I notice that the release notes from Cornell did not mention ploidy.

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Standard cytology ploidy test. Runs about $25 according to @Fusion_power

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I have a lot Liberty growing in my “organic” block. This block is comprised of trees that require no sprays for scab. Most of my varieties all cross liberty except Bramley (triploid) and Goldrush (late bloom).

Liberty
Belmac
Scarlet Ohara
Williams Pride
Puget Spice Crab
Dayton
Akane…if scab pressure not extreme
Goldrush…no
Bramley’s…no