CrimsonRub™ Crabapple

CRIMSONRUB™ CRABAPPLE CrimsonRub™ Crabapple produces an impressive number of quarter-sized crab apples annually, attracting considerable attention from local wildlife. I know this tree personally, and every deer heading toward the food plot hits this tree first. You’ve got to remember acorns on an oak tree are quarter-sized or smaller, and the deer take them down, and they do even more so when it’s a good soft mast hitting the ground during the fall. CrimsonRub™ is clean, with no signs of disease that is debilitating to fruit production, and exhibits high fruit production in a no-spray situation here in Pennsylvania. This crabapple tree begins to drop its fruit in mid-to-late October and continues through mid-November, with a small amount persisting into December. When I say a small amount persisting into December, that may be a thousand or two crabs hitting the ground, as I have never gone through and counted them. People look for late-dropping oaks and chestnuts, missing the opportunity for something even better, such as a soft-masted tree like CrimsonRub™ Crabapple. This crabapple has very high vigor and produces fruit on 1-year-old wood. CrimsonRub crabapple will reach a mature height of 20 feet or more. The original tree has withstood ambient temperatures as low as -20 degrees, making it suitable for plant Hardiness Zones 4b-8. The CrimsonRub Crab™ Crabapple is made by using plant tissue from the original tree and attaching it to the new roots. This process essentially provides you with an identical tree to the one depicted in the picture and description. TREE SIZE 2-yr 4-6′ (5/8” dia.) These two-year-old trees will have an extensive root system and can have multiple branches with a diameter of 5/8” or greater. We will be pruning the trees back to a shipping height of 66” with the roots. Our largest box is 66″x 14″x 15″ and will hold 15 of the 2-year trees. Free local pick-up is available in the surrounding states of Pennsylvania. 2-yr 4-6′ (select): These two old trees will be the largest available. They will be feathered and have our greatest diameter towards that 3/4”. We will prune the trees back to a shipping height of 66″ with the roots, as our largest box is 66 “x 14″ x 15” and will hold 14 select two-year-old trees. Free local pick-up is available in the surrounding states of Pennsylvania. ROOTSTOCK FOR CRIMSONRUB™ CRABAPPLE 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 choice for all-around wildlife plantings. CrimsonRub™ is very precocious, with many trees producing quickly even when grafted onto a standard root. POLLINATION FOR CRIMSONRUB™ CRABAPPLE 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, when planting, you need to mix the names of the grafted trees, as trees with the same name are genetically identical and, most of the time, 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. PLANTING INSTRUCTIONS FOR CRIMSONRUB™ CRABAPPLE 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. CrimsonRub™ crabapple 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. TREE SHIPPING Shipping to Plant Hardiness zones 2 – 8 will begin in early March (you select your ship date) and continue until the last Monday in April. Dormant bare-root trees must be planted in the spring, while trees in your area remain dormant. You can select your ship date when you check out on the website. If you are looking for winter shipping, write me at ryan@bluehillwildlifenursery.com TREE PICKUP The last week of March or the first week of April is ideal for planting in Pennsylvania. Free local pick-up is also available in the surrounding states. When you check out on the website, you can select your pick-up date within the next two weeks. However, if you are unable to make the selected date, please call or message us to arrange an alternative appointment.  We are open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, for tree pick-up.   For More Information Visit: Learn More Continue your research with these helpful resources: Crabapple Trees for Deer Tree Planting Guide Apple Pollination Guide Rootstock Information Shipping and Pickup Info