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Since bees fly between trees, it’s also important to consider the spacing between your apple trees. Plant them too far apart and bees can’t reach the pollinator partners! For pollination purposes, the recommended planting distance for apple trees is within a 100 foot distance.
Do I need 2 apple trees to pollinate?
Pollination and fertilization are necessary for fruit development. Plant at least two different apple tree varieties within 50 feet of one another for good fruit set. Some apple varieties, such as Golden Delicious, will produce a crop without cross-pollination from a second variety.
How close should trees be for cross-pollination?
Although pollinating bees can travel 3 – 4km (2 – 212 miles), the general rule of thumb is that trees for cross-pollination should be within 18m (55ft) of each other to be really effective.
What happens if you plant fruit trees too close together?
Problems. If the fruit trees do grow tall, however, close planting can cause problems. The trees create too much shade, preventing light from penetrating to the lower branches. This can encourage the growth of fungii and reduce the production of fruit, potentially damaging or ruining the fruit harvest.
How do you pollinate an apple tree?
Hand pollination is relatively simple. Fluff the end of a cotton swab and swirl it or a small paintbrush in an apple blossom or the package of pollen and apply it to the king bloom in as many flower clusters as you can reach. The best time to pollinate is within 12 to 72 hours of the flower opening.
How many years does it take for an apple tree to produce fruit?
Dwarf apple trees will start bearing fruit 2 to 3 years after planting. Standard size trees can take up to 8 years to bear fruit. Some varieties are more susceptible to insect and disease damage than others. Prune annually to keep apple trees healthy and productive.
Can a pear tree pollinate an apple tree?
In general terms each species can only pollinate others of its own kind – apples will only pollinate other apples, pears will only pollinate pears, and so on.
How far can plants pollinate?
Research has shown that pollen can travel much further than 10 miles, but the amount of pollen transported decreases logarithmically with increasing distance from the source. Therefore, the risk of pollination should be negligible beyond ten miles from a pollen source.
Can cherry and apple trees cross pollinate?
Apples and sweet cherries definitely need cross-pollination and so do sour cherries which, although they are considered self compatible, to benefit by the movement of pollen by bees in the wind.
Can you plant different fruit trees next to each other?
It’s important to grow fruit-tree varieties that taste great and are productive, but you also have to know a little about pollination. Most fruit trees grow best with at least two different varieties planted. The varieties should bloom at roughly the same time in spring and have pollen that’s compatible.
How much space do you need between fruit trees?
Most standard-sized fruit trees need approximately 20 feet by 20 feet of space to grow properly, though standard-sized apple and sweet cherry trees need around 35 by 35 feet of space. Citrus trees only require about 8 feet to grow properly.
What should be the distance between fruit trees?
Spacing between fruit trees should be generous to allow for competition-free root and canopy growth. For MM106 trees we plant 5m apart, for M26 3.5-4m apart. This spacing then allows sufficient light to reach the ground so that guild species may then be planted in subsequent years if desired (herbs, soft fruit).
What apple tree will cross pollination chart?
All varieties of apple trees require some cross-pollination for fruit set. Even though some varieties are listed as self-fruitful, they will set fruit more heavily and more regularly if they are cross-pollinated.Pollination. Asian Pear Fruiting Variety Compatible Pollinizer Shinseike Chojuro.
What apple trees should be planted together?
However, most apples require not only a second apple tree to pollinate, but a second tree of a different cultivar (for example, a Pink Lady Apple should be paired with a Gala, Fuji, Granny Smith or McIntosh Apple to produce fruit).
Do bees pollinate apple trees?
Apple flowers are mainly pollinated by insects. Although a large number of insects visit apple flowers, honey bees are usually the most important pollinators and should be introduced to orchards. Studies have shown that the more bees recorded on flowers, the higher the fruit set.
Do apple trees need a lot of water?
How Much Water Do Apple Trees Need? In general, for an established tree, you won’t need to water it unless you are not getting much rain or there is a particularly dry spell or even drought. About an inch (2.5 cm.) or so of rainfall every week to ten days is adequate for most apple trees.
How many apple trees do I need?
Tip. Unless you plant a self-pollinating apple tree, you need at least two trees for proper pollination. The trees should be different cultivars that flower at the same time.
What do you fertilize apple trees with?
Fertilizer Ingredients Apple trees require nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium — the three numbers on fertilizer bags — as well as various trace minerals. For home growers, fertilizers should have a higher nitrogen ratio to fuel healthy growth. Common granular 20-10-10 fertilizer is suitable for apples.
