Rusty’s Favorite™

Rusty’s Favorite™ Apple Rusty’s Favorite™  is a grafted cultivar that is extremely productive apple tree with a drop period from mid September through mid October. This tree is a standard apple producing a 3” apple no matter the fruit load that is on the tree, it is consistent and no need for thinning. This tree produces a large and sweet apple that’s taste is very comparable to that of a Macintosh apple, and is about perfect in size and shape even in a no spray situation. The apple has a nice sweet crunch with low tannins and excellent flavor. Rusty’s favorite™ is a vigorous growing tree among the top 20% of apples trees grafted and grown here. Among its many unique qualities such as the shear number of apples it produces, along with its great taste, it has excellent disease resistance here in the Northeast, in my opinion I would say it surpasses most of the modern day disease resistant varieties of apples available on the market today. Rusty’s favorite™ is one of the cleanest, best tasting wild growing trees I have ever seen. The original tree is 70+ years old and has received temperatures as low as -25 degrees making it well suited for northern climates.  This apple tree comes from Whitetail enthusiast Rusty Tracy of Northwestern Pennsylvania. There are more than 1,000 wild apple trees growing on and around his property and a tree like Rusty’s favorite sets itself apart by being one of a kind.  There is no need to thin this tree because it easily handles its fruit load and manages to mature to a very nice sized apple. Mature tree height will be 20’+. plant hardiness zones 4b to 7. The Rusty’s Favorite™ apple is made by using plant tissue from the original tree and attaching it to the new roots. This essentially is giving you an identical tree, of the one you see in the picture and description. TREE SIZE  2-yr 4-6′ (5/8”-3/4” dia.) These two-year-old trees will have an extensive root system and can have multiple branches with a diameter of 5/8” and 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-yr trees. Free local pick-up is open to 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 RUSTY’S FAVORITE 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. Rusty’s Favorite Apple™ is very precocious, with many trees producing quickly even when grafted onto a standard root. POLLINATION FOR RUSTY’S FAVORITE 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. Rusty’s Favorite Apple™ blooms mid-season, therefore providing plenty of pollination to early and late-season trees and receiving plenty. PLANTING INSTRUCTIONS FOR RUSTY’S FAVORITE 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. Rusty’s Favorite™ 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. SHIPPING/PICK UP 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 The last week in March or the first week in April is perfect 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 for these two weeks. However, if you can not make the selected date, please call or message us to make an appointment.  We are open 8-4 Monday through Friday for tree pick-up.   For More Information Visit: Apple Trees for Deer Tree Planting Guide Apple Pollination Guide Rootstock Information Shipping and Pickup Info