Quick Answer: How To Pollinate Apple Trees

Table of Contents

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.

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.

Do I need to pollinate my apple tree?

Pollination is important as without most apple trees will not produce fruit. Apple trees are just like humans and need to exchange chromosomes to produce offspring (fruit). While there are some apple trees that are self-fertile and will produce fruit without a pollinator, every tree benefits from a partner.

How do I know if my apple tree is pollinated?

a) Apple trees are pollinated by bees. If there are no bees near the orchard, there will be no pollination, and no seeds.

Why doesn’t my apple tree produce apples?

Answer: The lack of fruit is likely due to the absence of flowers, poor pollination, or low temperatures during bloom. The lack of flowers is often due to the age of the tree. After planting, most dwarf and semi-dwarf apple trees don’t flower and bear fruit for 3 to 5 years.

Can you manually pollinate an apple tree?

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.

How can you tell if a apple tree is male or female?

You cannot tell flower function (or gender) just by looking. Trees do not show their gender until they are sexually mature and start to flower. Sexual maturity in trees, depending upon the species, can occur from 1 to 50 years of age. Sometimes sexual maturity occurs for either the male or female flowers and cones.

How far apart can apple trees be to pollinate?

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.

Will a single apple tree produce fruit?

One tree is not enough To set fruit, the vast majority of apple trees requires a different variety grown nearby for pollination. While some apple varieties are self-pollinating, even they produce more fruit with another variety nearby.

What kind of apple trees are self-pollinating?

Some self-fertile varieties include Golden Delicious, Braeburn, Granny Smith, and Scrumptious. Check the Home Orchard Society for a more thorough breakdown of self-fruitful varieties — there are quite a few. Keep in mind, however, that even self-fertile apple varieties will bear more fruit if cross-pollinated.

What apple trees do not need a pollinator?

Some self-fruitful varieties with low chill requirements, growing in USDA zones 5 through 9, are “Gala,” “Fuji” and “Beverly Hills.” Self-fruitful apples that require even less winter chill and grow in zones 6 through 10 include “Anna,” “Ein Shemer,” “Golden Dorsett” and “Gordon.” Some apple varieties are partially.

Do apple tree flowers turn into fruit?

At the beginning of the summer, apple trees are covered in blossoms. To become fruit the blossoms must be cross-pollinated, generally by bees and other insects, before being fertilized. Once fertilized, the blossom falls off, giving way for the ovary to grow and expand into a fruit.

Can apple trees cross pollinate with other fruit trees?

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. Amongst apples there is generally no distinction between crab apples, cider apples, and mainstream apples – they can all potentially cross-pollinate each other.

Why are apples not self-pollinating?

This is because almost all apple trees are dioecious, which means they need cross pollination from another plant in order to bear fruit. If you plant one apple tree and there are no others around for miles, chances are you’re never going to see any fruit… usually.

How do I get my apple tree to produce more fruit?

In order for fruit to be produced, most trees must be pollinated. Cold weather and a reduction in pollinating insects can cause trees to blossom but bear no fruit. For best results with apple trees, plant two different varieties close together for cross pollination.

How do I get my apple tree to produce fruit?

Apples and pears must be cross pollinated. Therefore, you must plant two different varieties if you want to produce fruit. There are also varieties that produce sterile pollen and need to be planted with at least two other varieties.

Why does my apple tree have no blossoms?

If there are no flowers or flower buds present at all: Over-pruning or poor pruning may be to blame. Vigorous shoot growth at the expense of fruit is often caused by taking too much wood out of a tree in one year. The tree’s energy is put into compensating for the lost foliage at the expense of fruit.

Is there a way to pollinate without bees?

Some fruits are self-pollinating, and can fertilize themselves without any bees involved. The Navel Oranges seen in the photo at the top are a good example of a fruit that can self-pollinate. Most fruit trees — pears and apples in particular — are self-sterile for their own pollen.

Do you need bees to pollinate fruit trees?

Pollination of fruit trees is required to produce seeds with surrounding fruit. It is the process of moving pollen from the anther to the stigma, either in the same flower or in another flower. In fruit trees, bees are an essential part of the pollination process for the formation of fruit.