Pollination for Successful Fruiting

Pollination of fruit trees entails the transfer of pollen from the male part of the flower, the stamens, to the female part, the stigma and then to the ovule where the two parts fuse and fertilisation takes place. This happens naturally without any planning on our part by bees and other pollinating insects such as hoverflies. However if you are planning to grow a few fruit trees you can give nature a helping hand by considering a couple of things.

Fruit trees and different pollination requirements

Fruit trees’ pollination requirements can generally be placed into four categories:

• Self-fertile – can pollinate themselves, so produce a good crop of fruit without needing another tree. They can still crop a little better if grown with other trees they can cross-pollinate though. Self fertile varieties also tend to be very good pollinators of other varieties. Trees we grow that are self-fertile include some plums, some cherries, very few apples, and all our quinces.
• Partial self-fertile – Can produce some fruit without another tree’s pollen, but crop much better with cross-pollination.
• Not self fertile (self-incompatible) – cannot pollinate themselves, although they can pollinate other trees. These trees need to be pollinated by a different variety of the same Genus / type.  Apples pollinate apples, Pears pollinate pears, but by another variety NOT the same. For example, a James Grieve apple will not pollinate another James Grieve, but will pollinate a Spartan.  Most apples are self-incompatible, as are all pears, many plums and quite a few cherries.
• Triploid – cannot pollinate themselves or another variety because their pollen is mostly sterile. The most well known triploid variety is Bramley. Very few of the varieties we grow are triploid, e.g. Ribston Pippin, and this will be mentioned in the individual tree details. If you’re growing two fruit trees and one is triploid then the other will not be pollinated; it will need a third variety to pollinate it. So three trees will ensure successful pollination.

The above has been written as if there are no other fruit trees in the area or already planted. In residential areas there are very likely to be fruit trees about even if you are not aware of them. So if you are interested in one or two trees for a small garden there are most likely to be other trees nearby to help with pollination.

Bear in mind that apples pollinate apples, but not other fruit trees species e.g. Pears. The same goes for Plums, etc. So, if there are no other fruit trees anywhere nearby, successful pollination needs two or more varieties of the same species.

Flowering times and Pollination Groups

For pollination to be successful the plants need to be flowering during overlapping times for pollen exchange. Each variety has a flowering period, which on this website we group from A (early) to E (late). A variety can be pollinated by another of the same group or one to either side (e.g. a tree in group C can pollinate another variety of the same species in group B, C, or D). Because flowering is spread out over a few weeks, varieties in adjacent groups make perfectly acceptable pollination partners with the flowering periods overlapping. There is plenty of choice when selecting trees.

We list pollination groups for the varieties we grow on this page. Pollination groups can also be found in individual trees’ catalouge entries. On the catalogue category pages you can use the “filter by pollination group” option lower down on the left hand side to show all the varieties in a particular pollination group.

Apples

Apples require a pollination partner growing nearby, either fruiting or ornamental, that flowers at a similar time. A few apple varieties are Triploid (T) and will receive pollen from other varieties, but not pollinate them.

Crab apples are good pollinators of fruiting apples but have not been given a pollination group.

The varieties below are dessert apples unless otherwise indicated.

Group B

Group C

• Blenheim Orange (T)
• Betty Geeson
• Bountiful (culinary)
• Bramley (T & culinary)
• Bramley 20 (T & culinary)
• Catshead (culinary)
• Charles Ross
• Colwall Quoining
• Cox Self Fertile SF
• Christmas Pippin
• Discovery
• Doddin
• Early Victoria (culinary)
• Fiesta
• Fortune
• Greensleeves
• Grenadier (culinary)
• Haughtey’s Red
• Herefordshire Russet
• James Grieve
• Katy
• Kidd’s Orange Red
• King Charles Pearmain
• Lord Hindlip
• Madresfield Court
• May Queen
• Newland Sack
• Pitmaston Pineapple
• Pitmaston Russet
• Queen Alexandra
• Rajka
• Red Devil
• Red Falstaff
• Rosemary Russet
• Sandlin Duchess
• Saturn
• Scotch Bridget
• Spartan
• Sunset
• Tupstones
• Tydeman’s Early Worcester
• Worcester Pearmain
• Wyken Pippin

Group D

• Annie Elizabeth (culinary)
• Ashmead’s Kernel
• Chatley’s Kernel
• D’Arcy Spice
• Ellison’s Orange
• Gladstone
• Howgate Wonder (culinary)
• King Coffee
• Laxton’s Superb
• Lord Derby
• Orlean’s Reinette
• Pixie
• Topaz
• Winston

Group E

• Court Pendu Plat
• Edward V11 (culinary)
• Newton Wonder (culinary)
• William Crump

Cider apples

Cider apples generally flower later than other apples so need pollinating between themselves.

Early flowering

• Broxwood Foxwhelp
• Ten Commandments
• Tom Putt

Early mid season

• Michelin
• Somerset Redstreak
• Yarlington Mill

Mid season

• Brown’s Apple
• Kingston Black
• Sweet Alford

Mid late season

• Dabinett
• Harry Master’s Jersey
• Herefordshire Redstreak
• Major

Late season

• Chisel Jersey
• Stoke Red

Pears

Pears require pollination by neighbouring pears. Though in the same group Onward will not pollinate Doyenne du Comice and vice versa. Three varieties are triploid (T) and like triploid apple varieties will receive pollen from other varieties, but not pollinate them.

Group B

• Beurre Precoce Morettini
• Emile D’Heyst
• Louise Bonne of Jersey

Group C

• Beurre Hardy
• Beurre Superfin
• Concorde
• Conference
• Merton Pride (T)
• Pierre Cornielle
• Worcester Black

Group D

• Beth
• Catillac (T)
• Doyenne du Comice
• Glou Morceau
• Onward
• Pitmaston Duchess (T)
• Winter Nelis

Plums & Damsons

Many of the Plums & all Damsons are self-fertile (SF) but will produce more fruit if they too have a pollination partner. Plums, gages and damsons can all cross-pollenate each other if they have overlapping flowering periods. They flower from early April onwards, so some shelter is advisable for plums & gages in particular. This enables good pollination when the weather is colder than when other fruit trees flower.

We grow a selection of Gloucestershire plums. These have not been given a pollination group because their exact flowering time is not certain until more research is done, but plant with other plums in the vicinty and pollination will take place.

Group A

• Jefferson’s Gage

Group B

• Coe’s Golden Drop
• Warwickshire Drooper SF

Group C

• Blaisdon Red
• Czar SF
• Blaisdon Red
• Denbigh / Cox’s Emperor
• Early Rivers
• Grove’s Late Victoria
• Herman SF
• Heron
• Merryweather SF
• Opal SF
• Pershore Emblem
• Purple Pershore SF
• Sanctus Hubertus
• Swan SF
• Victoria SF
• Yellow Egg SF

Group D

• Cambridge Gage
• Count Althans Gage
• Farleigh Damson SF
• Kirke’s Blue
• Oullins Gage SF
• Shropshire Prune SF

Group E

• Blue Tit SF
• Excalibur
• Marjories Seedling SF

Cherries

Some varieties are self fertile – Sunburst, Stella & Lapins. Other varieties are pollinated by self fertile and other self sterile varieties.  ‘Summersun’ is considered to be partially self fertile.

Quinces

Quinces are self fertile and produce very attractive white/pink flowers with large petals.

Crab Apples

Crab apples are very good pollinators of all kinds of apples. They have a long flowering period which means they will pollinate a wide variety of fruiting apples that flower at different times. Commercially they are often used in orchards of few varieties to assist with pollination.

At blossom time…

Nice calm warm dry weather at flowering time will provide the best chance of good pollination – bees and other insects will be about in force. However the weather cannot be guaranteed and cold wet weather at blossom time can reduce the yield later on.

Late frosts can damage flowers so avoid planting in frost pockets. If uncertain avoid planting early flowering varieties.

To improve conditions for pollination plant trees in as sheltered position as possible with plenty of light. If planting in an open situation consider planting a natural hedge to slow down wind. Cold northerly and easterly winds in the spring can be harmful.

Do not rely on honey bees for pollination, they are only active on warm spring like days. Encourage bumblebees and solitary bees ie masonry bees which fly at lower temperatures with other flowering plants. You can also place a few bug and bee hotels in the area.