I am purchasing some new fruit trees and I am not sure which need pollinators .I am ordering golden early plums,cherries,and apricots.Can I just order two of each same kind or do they need another variety to pollinate?

-- teri (mrs_smurf2000@yahoo.ca), April 10, 2001

Answers

It depends on just exactly what verieties you are buying. Some are self-fertile, while others need a second type (sometimes the same, sometimes different) to bear fruit. E-mail me with the verieties you intend to buy & the zone you live in. I have a veriety of sources to do some research. Also, where are you buying these plants from (local or ordering them)?

animalfarms

-- animalfarms (jwlewis@indy.net), April 11, 2001.

I know for a fact that the apricot growers around here buy hives of bees for pollination, but they are commercial growers... Don't know if they HAVE to, or just buy the bees to increase the harvest. Cherries - we had a neighbor with three trees and tons of fruit, so they may be ok with wind pollination. Plums don't need anything but the wind.

IF you are not allergic to bees, and want to sell some fruit for a small income, why not just get a hive or two? They aren't that expensive, are fairly easy to take care of, and you will have the added benefits of honey, pollen and beeswax.

-- Sue Diederich (willow666@rocketmail.com), April 11, 2001.

If you're ordering from a catalogue, it should say which ones are self fertile and which need pollinators. Most Japanese plums seem to need pollinators, except Methley. Sour cherries don't need pollinators, but most sweet do. Apricots, I'm not sure..

-- Christina (introibo2000@yahoo.com), April 11, 2001.