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I recently purchased a house and there are four fruit trees. Honeycrisp apple, pear, cherry, and I can't remember what the fourth is.
The previous owner said they did not yield any apples. Is that because there isn't another apple tree? I'm getting way too much information with a Google search and feel very overwhelmed. I believe I need to get another apple tree of a different variety? Is that correct? Is there a type that specifically works well with honeycrisp? How far apart can they be?
Also, any other tips relating to fruit trees are welcome This is a first for me.
Bloom Color: White
Fruit Color: Red
Fruit Size: Large
Pollination: Pollinator Needed
Ripens/Harvest: Early September
Shade/Sun: Full Sun
Soil Composition: Loamy
Soil Moisture: Well Drained
Soil pH Level: 6.0 - 7.0
Taste: Excellent, Sweet
Texture: Crisp, Juicy
Years to Bear: 2 - 5
Zone Range: 3 - 6
Honeycrisp trees need a good amount of chill hours to produce well (according to the web site)...check the link for recommended pollinators, pollination distance, etc.
Get a book on pruning fruit trees, a good set of loppers and pruners, and read up on pests. Best time to prune is while the trees are dormant, usually Dec/Jan. Pear trees are critical to keep the height in check, they are prone to grow straight up...you don't want to be trying to pick fruit from a 30' extension ladder. Pear trees are suseptible to fire blight, which can be spread to apple trees. Apple trees can be susceptible to cedar rust, spread by eastern red cedar trees
Don't expect to be an expert overnight, ask questions, visit an orchard, good luck.
Normally crabapples make good pollinators for most any apple variety. Or you could plant a named apple variety but it will need to be one compatible with what you already have.
Gemstone's info above is correct, you need a good pollinator and the right amount of chilling hours, those are the 2 key requirements for growing apples.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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In the past I have grafted various (up to 5) varieties of apple, and even pear on the same tree to solve the problem without adding more trees. Some apples will also take many years to produce, our Gravenstein took 14 years. Almost all cherries require a pollinator, as do many pears.
Do you know how old it is and whether it is flowering in the spring? Around here, there are so many ornamental crabs that apple tree pollination is rarely an issue, so I'm skeptical that this is the problem.
If apple trees are further apart than about 100 feet the odds of successful pollination go down. Closer is better. More trees around ups the chances of pollination (more pollen).
Bloom Color: White
Fruit Color: Red
Fruit Size: Large
Pollination: Pollinator Needed
Ripens/Harvest: Early September
Shade/Sun: Full Sun
Soil Composition: Loamy
Soil Moisture: Well Drained
Soil pH Level: 6.0 - 7.0
Taste: Excellent, Sweet
Texture: Crisp, Juicy
Years to Bear: 2 - 5
Zone Range: 3 - 6
Honeycrisp trees need a good amount of chill hours to produce well (according to the web site)...check the link for recommended pollinators, pollination distance, etc.
Get a book on pruning fruit trees, a good set of loppers and pruners, and read up on pests. Best time to prune is while the trees are dormant, usually Dec/Jan. Pear trees are critical to keep the height in check, they are prone to grow straight up...you don't want to be trying to pick fruit from a 30' extension ladder. Pear trees are suseptible to fire blight, which can be spread to apple trees. Apple trees can be susceptible to cedar rust, spread by eastern red cedar trees
Don't expect to be an expert overnight, ask questions, visit an orchard, good luck.
Regards
Gemstone1
Very helpful- thanks!
Quote:
Originally Posted by AminWi
Do you know how old it is and whether it is flowering in the spring? Around here, there are so many ornamental crabs that apple tree pollination is rarely an issue, so I'm skeptical that this is the problem.
I'm not sure how old it is, but I'm guessing they planted it within the last 5 years. All of the fruit trees have flowers right now. I actually don't know which is which, lol. There are four of them all lined up in a row, spaced about 4-6 feet apart.
Buying a house in the winter means I have lots of landscaping/gardening mysteries ahead of me. Sellers spent a lot of time on landscaping, and there is a flower bed encircling the entire house. However, I have no idea what I will find as things grow this year. Most of the trees on my lot are maples. There are two that I am unsure of since they don't have leaves yet. However, I live in a subdivision, so I have fairly close neighbors. Most lots are between 0.3-0.4 acres. I am at the edge of the sub though. I have about a 3/4 acre lot that borders the edge of some woods. So, who knows what trees are how far....
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This is a first for me.
