Especially when the garden is small and has already been laid out, space is sometimes limited. If you still don't want to miss out on home-grown apples, the idea is to cultivate just one tree. Unfortunately, this is only possible with apple trees under certain circumstances.
Can you plant an apple tree alone?
As a rule, you should notplant an apple tree alone,because it needs a suitable fertilization partner for a good fruit yield. However, there are exceptions, such as the increasingly popular duo trees.
Why shouldn't an apple tree be planted alone?
Most apple varietiesare self-sterile,this means that the fruit treescannotfertilize their flowers with their ownpollen.
For this reason, you should always cultivate at least two apple trees. Make sure that it is a suitable second variety. Unfortunately, not every apple variety that blooms at the same time is compatible. It is therefore advisable to seek advice about these varieties from the nursery.
Is a crabapple suitable as a pollinator?
Thecraterapples cultivated as ornaments are also suitable as pollinator varieties for apple trees. For example, the crabapple variety “Golden Hornet” is considered an excellent pollinator of the well-known cultivated apples
- Cox Orange‚
- Elstar‚
- Gala,
- Gloster,
- Rubinette,
- Jonagold.
When is it enough to plant a single apple tree?
Standing inneighboring gardensalreadyother apple trees,it can definitely work to cultivate just one apple tree that still bears a lot. The distance between the trees plays a minor role, because the bees that pollinate flowers fly to trees more than a kilometer away from the hive.
Alternatively, you can rely on a so-called duo tree. In this special grafting process, two mutually pollinating apple trees were grafted onto a base. This means that the fruit trees do not need a fertilization partner.
Tip
Water apple trees regularly
Since apple trees produce their flower buds in the summer of the previous year, it is important to water the trees sufficiently during hot, dry periods. Only if the foliage around the buds remains strong will the future flowers be supplied with nutrients and remain he althy.