Thinking of getting an apple tree for my allotment but do I have to have another to pollonate it ?
Want a cooker not eaters
Really depends on the variety, and how many apples or ornamental crabs are nearby.... Bramleys are a triploid so would definitely need a pollinator close by...
8)
Or 2??
The Bramley is of course a great cooking apple but it does not pollinate other apple trees, hence you may need three trees. One to pollinate the Bramley and another to pollinate the other one.
If there are other apple trees nearby you won't need to worry and the Bramley on it's own will be fine.
If there are no other pollinators around and you want two trees then try another variety. Bountiful is a good one. You could also go for a Granny Smith, which are best used as cookers in the UK.
There are loads of varieties that will pollinate Bramley's; you need to look at the pollination group, and find another in the same group. The only problem is that Bramley's won't pollinate your second apple, so if you live in an area with no apple trees, you'd need a third in the same group so that everything got pollinated.
Family apple trees are great as you get 3 varieties in one tree which pollinate each other and it takes up less space.
Check out the bottom of this page
http://tinyurl.com/2aytr3
Charles Ross, Discovery and James Grieve are all really hardy varieties, I'd go for that.
Its a cheap and reputable place too.
Thanks for all the help
BB :) :)
I have the following cookers GOLDEN NOBLE, JUMBO, CATSHEAD, LORD DERBY, REV. W. WILKS, SANDRINGHAM & HOWGATE WONDER all give plenty of fruit I have 9 eaters too & can't remember what pollinates what but i am picking apples from July-December as there is always something ripe.
My trees all came from this company http://www.chrisbowers.co.uk
Cheers Baccyman - you must have loads of space to have your orchard??
I have loads too - cordons, too fab for words.
If you google Keepers Nursery and go to their apple pages, you will find well displayed info on pollinators.
Hi Blue bird,
Ken Muir do a family tree that has - Braeburn, popular dessert variety, Sunset, crisp & juicy Cox-like, and Bountiful, late dessert/cooker, heavy crops of sweet well flavoured, cooks to yellow fluff.