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Oh wow you may have just answered a question I been having. I planted some apple trees in my backyard. The AI helping me suggested 3 trees, one of which was a

Oh wow you may have just answered a question I been having. I planted some apple trees in my backyard. The AI helping me suggested 3 trees, one of which was a crab-apple tree that it said will be used to pollinate the other two. Maybe it lied to me. But i did follow its instructions. I was wondering why the other two (Honeycrisp and another delicious variety) could not just pollinate each other.

biotinker 8d ago
The GP comment is overstating the genetic differences and pollination difficulties. Most apples are not self-fertile. Pairing pollinators together has more to do with bloom times; some trees bloom earlier/later than others and trees need to have flowers out simultaneously. Here's some more reading: https://www.cumminsnursery.com/learn-trees/fruit-tree-bloom-dates/ https://www.cumminsnursery.com/learn-trees/fruit-tree-bloom-... https://www.cumminsnursery.com/learn-trees/fruit-tree-pollination https://www.cumminsnursery.com/learn-trees/fruit-tree-pollin...
pvaldes 7d ago
Professional advice is the way to go. Much better than AI. Two trees of exactly the same apple cultivar will perform wildly different depending on were you buy it. Crab-apples are good for pollination IF they overlap flowering. Not so much otherwise. If you have an early flowering variety and a late flowering crab-apple forget it. You don't need them as a third apple may work perfectly. In any case they are beautiful trees and excellent for wildlife. You will not be disappointed with the excellent spring and fall displays, but if the space is limited I would go for a different tree or a third real apple choosing carefully the rootstock. If you want a crab-apple put it at the background. (Optical effect. It makes the garden appear bigger). If you like to watch birds while sipping your coffee in the front. Crab-apples would be the kings of garden if they didn't suffered from so many diseases.

biotinker 8d ago

The GP comment is overstating the genetic differences and pollination difficulties. Most apples are not self-fertile. Pairing pollinators together has more to do with bloom times; some trees bloom earlier/later than others and trees need to have flowers out simultaneously. Here's some more reading: https://www.cumminsnursery.com/learn-trees/fruit-tree-bloom-dates/ https://www.cumminsnursery.com/learn-trees/fruit-tree-bloom-... https://www.cumminsnursery.com/learn-trees/fruit-tree-pollination https://www.cumminsnursery.com/learn-trees/fruit-tree-pollin...

pvaldes 7d ago

Professional advice is the way to go. Much better than AI. Two trees of exactly the same apple cultivar will perform wildly different depending on were you buy it. Crab-apples are good for pollination IF they overlap flowering. Not so much otherwise. If you have an early flowering variety and a late flowering crab-apple forget it. You don't need them as a third apple may work perfectly. In any case they are beautiful trees and excellent for wildlife. You will not be disappointed with the excellent spring and fall displays, but if the space is limited I would go for a different tree or a third real apple choosing carefully the rootstock. If you want a crab-apple put it at the background. (Optical effect. It makes the garden appear bigger). If you like to watch birds while sipping your coffee in the front. Crab-apples would be the kings of garden if they didn't suffered from so many diseases.