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Fruit & Orchards

How close to plant trees for cross pollination?

15 years ago

I have a a Burgundy plum and a Goldkist apricot tree. I would like to plant an aprum (sp?) and a plucot. How close do they need to be planted to the plum and apricot to cross pollinate? I can't find the answer in any of my gardening books. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.

Tinyrose

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Comments (7)

myk1
15 years ago
About a quarter mile. Or more depending on how industrious your bugs are.
tinyrose
Original Author
15 years ago
Thank you so much! I thought it was more like 15 feet.
Tinyrose
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Generally 2 trees only need to be within 50 feet (15 meters) of each other to cross pollinate. Pollination does usually require insects (most commonly bees), but can also be done by hand. Even if you do not commonly see bees in your yard, it is usually nothing to worry about. The bees will appear when the tree is covered in blossoms. In many parts of the country people only need to plant one apple tree in their yard, because there are usually a few other apple trees (or crabapples) growing somewhere in the neighborhood and the local bees are likely to be carrying pollen. The only reason I could see to ever want to plant the trees closer together is if they are very young trees with only a handful of blossoms that are unlikely to attract many bees. But in that case why not just pollinate by hand? The quality of the fruit is entirely dependent on the tree it is growing on; the variety that was used to pollinize it does not affect the fruit, though it does take a pollinizer for fruit to be able to form in the first place. Sweet cherries have a different number of chromosomes from sour cherries, and a cross between the two results in a triploid hybrid. Such a hybrid can still produce fruit, but the seeds are sterile. Sweet cherries have 16 chromosomes, while sour cherries have 32. Somewhat interestingly, wild Japanese cherry blossom trees have the same number of chromosomes as sweet cherries, while wild cherry varieties native to America (these include Black Cherry and Capulin) have the same number as sour cherries. This has implications for cross-breeding potential. Many cultivated cherry blossom varieties, including most in the serrulata group, are sterile triploid hybrids (with 24 chromosomes), and can only be propagated from cuttings.
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Some cultivars may be self-fruitful or partially self-fruitful when planted alone; in other locales, they may not be. For example, ‘Bartlett’ and ‘Comice’ pears are usually self-fruitful in California, although they are considered self-sterile in the Northwest. In general, self-fruitful types include: Some apples, pears, Asian pears, plums Most peaches (nectarines), apricots, citrus, figs All sour cherries and persimmons Quince Pomegranate In general, self-sterile or unfruitful types, whether caused by pollen compatibility, the timing of pollen shed, dioeciousness, or other problems, include: Many apples Sweet cherries Nuts (almonds, walnuts, chestnuts, pecans, filberts, etc.) Some pears, Asian pears, peaches, apricots and plums Blueberries University of California - The Backyard Orchard - Pollination http://homeorchard.ucanr.edu/The_Big_Picture/Pollination/
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fruitnut Z7 4500ft SW TX
15 years ago
Tinyrose:

I think there is considerable experience on this site that says the closer the better. For really hard to pollinate varieties, it helps to have the varieties intergrafted on the same tree. But for your situation, just plant them next to each other. Let the spacing be decided by tree size and pruning level you are willing to apply.

The Fruitnut
softmentor
15 years ago
Well, I don't agree with inter-grafted as being necessary. In fact I don't like inter-grafting at all. But anywhere in the same yard will be fine. Remember bees can be disrupted by obstacles like a house, so, on opposite sides of the house may not be effective. Commercial orchards will often plant one row of pollinators for a whole block of trees which can be 1/4 mile buy a 1/4 mile.
fruitnut Z7 4500ft SW TX
15 years ago
Please note I stated that intergrafting can help on really hard to pollinate cultivars. Things like Flavor Supreme and Flavorella. Last yr in my greenhouse I had more fruit set on one small intergrafted limb of Flavor Supreme than on three nearby trees combined. This is an issue of whether the bees work the bloom or not.

Intergrafting is not necessary for most plums and pluots.

On the other extreme, 1/4 mile may work for some apples but it won't be recommended for anything that really needs pollination.

The Fruitnut
myk1
15 years ago
Think of the flowers like billboards. They bloom at the same time to call insects to them. If they're in sight you should get enough crossing between them to pollinate.
Some of the draw is scent and since many pollinators can fly, objects that block our view would not block theirs.
You're more likely to have a larger group of flowers attract the attention than you're going to have a building block your billboard. If you're in suburbia you'll find you can often get away with planting a tree that needs a pollinator and you have no idea where the pollinator is (that may be getting less and less true with seemingly fewer people interested in growing their own fruit). My friend in the county has 2 of the same plum trees and gets pollination, he had a single cherry and didn't get pollination (even though he has plenty of wild cherries).

Of course closer is better, it's the same reason they pile billboards together. Once one ad catches the eye of someone they go on to read the next one. And in the case of cross pollination you need them to read both ads for either to be effective.
But 1/4mi is the general rule of thumb, 1/4mi is not that far.

Bees travel up to 6mi so the real issue is getting the same bee to visit both flowers while they still have the pollen on their bodies.
tinyrose
Original Author
15 years ago
Thank you to everyone who posted. My new trees will be planted 12 feet and 36 feet from their cross-pollinators (I don't think that is a word). I have bees everywhere. The buzz in my tiny orchard is amazing. Glad to know they will find their way from one tree to the next. This was my first year with fruit trees and I can't believe I ever lived without them.
Tinyrose

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