Fruit Tree Pollination (hopefully)

Fruit tree pollination is a subject that concerns and confuses many; we have tried to simplify things!

Self Fertile Or Partially Self Fertile

As the name suggests, trees that are described as self fertile will produce fruit on their own - without the need for another tree to pollinate them. This is the same for those that are described as partially self fertile, though yield may be fairly small - and so it is recommended to plant a suitable compatible pollinator to ensure a good harvest. Likewise even self fertile varieties will benefit from being grown in proximity to a compatible pollinator.

Self Sterile

Varieties described as self sterile cannot produce fruit on their own and need to be grown in proximity to a compatible pollinating variety.

Triploid

Some varieties of apple are described as triploid. Triploid varieties produce virtually sterile pollen meaning that you will need a compatible pollinator to produce fruit; additionally as the pollen of a triploid is all but sterile you will need another compatible pollinator to pollinate the pollinator - a bizarre love triangle! (of course if your pollinator of the triploid is self fertile you will have no problem).

How Close Do Trees Have To Be To Pollinate?

Quite simply as far as the bee can fly! Bees have been known to fly up to five miles - but for the purposes of guaranteeing pollination we would suggest that trees should be no more than a hundred yards apart (100 metres) at the most.

(So of course this means that if you know of a compatible pollinator in the vicinity of your garden or allotment you can always consider planting just a single self fertile tree and let the bees 'do their bit' to pollinate it!)

Compatible Pollinators

Again, this is an area that concerns many - with growers and books classifying trees into pollination groups such as 1, 2, 3 or a, b, c to indicate flowering times. In reality there is far more leeway than at first glimpse - with most trees flowering overlapping at least two groups. To this end we have carefully chosen our range of trees to ensure that, in most growing years, any tree from our range will pollinate any other tree in the same 'family' in our range, so...

Our Apples should be compatible pollinators to each other (but remember some may be triploids). Crab Apples are the best pollinators of all as they have such a long flowering period.

Our Apricots should be compatible pollinators to each other.

Our Cherries should be compatible pollinators to each other.

Our Damsons, Gages and Plums should be compatible pollinators to each other.

Our Pears (including Asian Pears) should be compatible pollinators to each other.

Our Nectarines, Peaches and Almonds should be compatible pollinators to each other. (some say that Nectarines and Peaches that have been pollinated by an Almond are bitter - this is something we have never experienced).