Apple Pollenizers: Check out Crabapples
All apple trees require 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.
Flowering crabapples (see list below) have become popular pollen sources because they generally have longer bloom times than apples and are easy to manage. The general recommendation for numbers of pollenizer trees is between 2%-10% depending on varietial mix and desired fruit set.
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This info is provided for reference only. For recommendations please contact us.
Apple Pollenizers
The information is provided for reference only.
| Name | Bloom Time | Details | Allele |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indian Summer crabapple | Early season | A flowering crab apple pollenizer, Indian Summer produces abundant dark pink flowers with viable pollen over an extended period. Fruit is dark red and too small for commercial purposes. Somewhat resistant to fireblight. | S26 S50b |
| Mt Evereste™ X-2369 cv | Early sesason | An early flowering crabapple begins blooming just one day after Manchurian. It has a very attractive bloom. Large, white flowers are good for pollinating early-bloom cultivars. Trees are scab and fireblight resistant. Fruit is medium sized for a crab, not as large as Mt Blanc. Look for oddly shaped leaves and you’ll have the correct tree identified. | S20 S26 |
| Mt Blanc™ X-6114 cv | Mid-to-late season | This crabapple has shown good resistance to scab and fireblight. It is best-suited for pollinating mid-late-season varieties. Flowers are white and bloom density is substantial. Large potentially edible fruit. | S3 S58 |
| Manchurian crabapple | Early and through midseason | A flowering crab used to pollinate other apple varieties. The white flower is a very prolific pollen producer. Fruit is too small for commercial purposes. Fireblight susceptible. | S5 S39b |
| Snowdrift crabapple | Mid to late season | White flowering variety. Very attractive to bees. Fruit is too small for commercial purposes. Somewhat susceptible to fireblight. | S25 S45b |
| Crimson Gold™ crabapple | It’s long bloom period makes it an excellent pollinizer for other apple varieties. Crimson Gold is an upright and vigorous growing tree that is often precocious to bear. Produces edible fruit which may need to be managed at harvest if not picked for fresh pack. | ||
| Frettingham Crabapple | Late season | A late crab blooming three days after Mt Blanc™. | S24 S25 |
