Thanks. Sorry the post is so rushed and short. My phone was at 5 percent battery... :) Yeah, it seems weird to me that there is SO much mixed information online. As we already settled, Fuji apples aren't self fertile, yet earlier I found a few resources (can't remember them now) that said that they are self pollinating. Again, thanks for clearing that up! :)

Akane is self-fertile.

I believe Akane being self-fertile is up for some debate :-)) Most sources consider it not to be or at best, semi self-fertile. Regardless, most recognized fruit tree resources will confirm that any apple, listed as self fertile or not, will benefit with better fruit production by cross pollination with a second, compatible variety.

if you have room for one apple tree only, you might also think about a multi-graft. Dave Wilson (through retailers like Bay Laurel or groworganic) sells multi-graft apples (for example: Multi graft apple) which are designed to pollinate each other.

I have a different version of this tree (different varieties) along with a 'fruit cocktail' tree. I had multi-graft cherries growing and the deer very much enjoyed the tree.

Andrew

I don't think there are any rock solid self fertile apples. There could be but it's not worth the risk to just plant one single apple when you could easily plant a multigraft and cover your butt. Raintree nursery sells 4x1 apple trees that are specifically created to cover pollination issues.

Thanks. Based on what you're all saying, I guess I'll buy a multi graft tree. Thanks for your all input. :)

My short answer is that I'm not so sure that apples need a pollinizer.

Interesting how garden and orchard literature gets repeated over and over again and then is assumed to be correct. We see this with chill hours on apples as well. I have a 'Pink Lady' apple tree that puts out lots of delicious seedless apples without any pollinizers around.

Maybe @applenut_gw from Kuffle Creek still comes around here and can speak to apple pollinizers: Apple Tree Nursery FAQs

It's rare that someone would grow just one apple tree, so the data may be somewhat lacking.

I have a Cripps Pink aka Pink Lady apple tree which is self pollinating.

Maybe a Pink Lady is self pollinating. But don't forget that pollinators like bees can fly a few miles seeking nectar. Having one apple tree that bears fruit does not always mean it is not cross pollinated.

One can get away with having one apple tree if there are other apples trees including crab apples a few miles in the neighborhood. Like others have stated above having a multi grafted tree ( bought or grafted it yourself) would solve a pollination issue.

From orangepippn.com: "Your Pink Lady apple tree is in flowering group 3. It is not self-fertile and needs a pollination partner of a different variety nearby."

From raintreenursery.com: "For pollination you need to have two different apple varieties! Apples, with the exception of the Queen Cox self fertile, don’t pollinate themselves."

Cross pollination required is also confirmed by Stark Brothers.

I do not personally know. however my newest Stark catalog has three varieties listed as self pollinating,

Stark Jon-a-red Jonathan

Starkspur Red Rome Beauty

Whitney CrabApple

ALL crabs are self fertile. They are a separate species from apples. And, as has been mentioned previously, any apple - whether listed as 'self fertile' or not - will produce better and bear more heavily if cross pollinated. It is generally just better to assume cross pollination is required for successful fruit production and plan accordingly.

To be honest, I think many varieties that are listed or sometimes thought to be self fertile are actually being pollinated by another tree. Bees and other pollinators do not much care what trees they visit and it is pretty hard to keep a single variety from being potentially fertilized by pollen from another tree. Those bees can travel a significant distance!!

I wasn't questioning that there should be a pollinator for best results, I was just adding to the conversation. I do wonder why someone with as much experience as Stark would say that unless it was true.

It seems very interesting to me that there is such varied opinionions from various nurseries and web sites. As stated, you never really can know what's pollinating a tree :) Thanks for all your comments; a solid reason for getting two trees rather than one is always good ;)

This from an experiencedapple grower/seller:

"About Pollination and Chilling Hour Ratings: We do not list blossoming times on our varieties, as in a warm climate the blossoming period is so strung out, there's always something blossoming for six months out of the year and pollination is not a problem (you'll have to forget a lot of the conventional wisdom about apples that you've been told from growing them in cold climates). The only varieties that are critical for needing pollinators are Anna, Dorset Golden, and Shell of Alabama, which will all pollinate each other and only each other. We don't list chilling hours either, as we could care less what this arbitrary rating is; it doesn't have much impact on tropic apple culture (again, forget conventional wisdom)."

The choice is yours. You can listen to experienced growers or from copy and pasters.

Why is your excerpt any less "cutting and pasting" than the remarks from other experienced growers and sellers of apple trees? The self-incompatibility of most apples is extremely well documented in the scientific horticultural community, which uniformly reinforces the need for a second, different clone to achieve proper fertilization and therefore good fruit production.

Interesting that your little blurb mentions nothing about any triploids, which produce sterile pollen and absolutely require cross pollination.

I'd also question any contention that "there's always something blossoming for six months out of the year " with any sort of apple anywhere in the US. 6 weeks, maybe - 6 months, no way!! That alone is enough to make me question the wisdom/advice provided by that particular grower.

Kuffle Creek is located in a warm climate. In my admittedly limited experience - I only have 3 apple trees over the last 1.5 years - but 2 of the 3 trees have bloomed multiple times each year. As my trees are still very young, I haven't had a whole lot of flowers from each tree and for the most part the blooming has not coincided (hopefully this changes as they get bigger and the blooming stretches out). I've still had small apples form, although I pruned most away as the trees are still too young. I am pretty sure that at least one neighbor has some apple trees, so that may have accounted for the pollination. Kuffle Creek has a decently large operation, so it's possible they have an extended blooming season.

My Gala just bloomed again about 3 weeks ago, I haven't checked closely but I'm pretty sure out 'cold' weather killed off any chance of fruit.

Maybe, Applenut of Kuffle Creek could chime in.

Mr. Clint- we all can do this without insulting one another. It's a public forum, people can chime in.

We don't know each other's fruit growing experience and should not undermine their knowledge and contribution.

Jason (Zone 10b, San Diego)(10), in my opinion it's experience, even if it's limited, that counts. And it's people actually planting trees and working with them that pushes the boundaries and helps to debunk previous assumptions.

I have an interesting confirmation as to the need to cross pollinate. I grafted twelve trees all to the same unknown cultivar ( host tree produced large tasty apples). I planted them in a remote wooded forest area. Ten/12 yrs later ...After many years of nice blossoms and no fruit I figured it out. I hand pollinated the next year and got some apples on my test pollinated trees. My trouble was all twelve trees were exact clones. I knew you need more than apple tree, but did not realize you need more than cultivar. I proved it to myself at least.

That's the exception...most of us don't need other trees or mulitgraft to pollinate, most likely you're not the only one with fruit trees ...bees fly up to 5 miles.

my next door neighbor has a large crabapple tree and there are quite a few other CA trees in my neighborhood (within a few hundred yard radius probably several). Would this suffice? I'd like to plant an apple tree in my backyard but the nifghbor's crab is located at the front. Can I get away with this?

Yes, crabs make good pollinators for apples, providing the bloom times coordinate and the tree is close enough - and this one is :-)

Often commercial apple orchards interplant with crabs to ensure proper cross pollination but often different apple selections are planted in close enough proximity so that occurs with the different varieties. I wouldn't rely just on it happening on its own - it usually doesn't - and research on growing apples commercially will confirm that: "All apple cultivars require cross-pollination with a pollinizer (not to be confused with a pollinator, which is a bee) to ensure commercial quality fruit and yields. Varieties differ in their self-fruitfulness. For example, Golden Delicious is considered partially self-fruitful, while Red Delicious is not. Regardless of the degree of self-fruitfulness, provide cross-pollination in every planting. With respect to cross-pollination, all red sports and spur types are considered the same as the parent variety. For example, Yorking is not a pollinizer for York Imperial. Closely related varieties may not pollinate one another—for example, McIntosh, and Early McIntosh. Triploid varieties do not pollinate any varieties. Otherwise, all varieties with satisfactory pollen are pollinizers of one another if the bloom periods overlap. It is advisable to have three pollinizer varieties in all Stayman and Winesap blocks." Orchard Pollination