Apple Pollination Question

[Crosby]

I bought a Ballerina apple tree last night from Costco but stupidly forgot to read the bit that said it was not self pollinating and points out that it pollinates from many other types of apple trees.

As someone that has never grown apple trees I'm hoping someone can help me with these questions.

* I read that there are specific pollen groups, Ballerina is a 2, do I need a specific tree from a specific group to pollenate this and the new tree?

* Will a self-pollenating tree help with the pollenation of the Ballerina?

The next one I buy really needs to be on dwarf root stock and reccomendations are more than welcome.

Thanks,

Brian

[Crosby]

Well after much googling I found out the Ballerina Flamenco is a group D pollenator and the types of trees I need. I think I'll just go back to costco and buy another Flamenco for £22.

[FB.]

Two trees of the same variety are not able to pollinate each other; they are identical. Two Ballerina Flamenco will not cross-pollinate. Also, having pondered about growing a barrerina for myself, I've watched other people's trees and found them to not have much resistance to disease.

Pollination and compatibility works on the basis of trees recognising their own pollen and preventing it from fertilising the flowers.

For example here are some incompatibility gene combinations of some common apples:

Golden Delicious: 2 & 3 (i.e. it produces and destroys type 2 and type 3 pollen)
Cox's Orange: 5 & 9 (i.e. it produces and destroys type 5 and type 9 pollen)
Kidd's Orange Red: 5 & 9
Spartan: 9 & 10

So, Cox's and Kidd's Orange (an offspring of Cox) can't pollinate either themselves or each other because they each destroy their own pollen of type 5 & 9.
This is a natural selection mechanism to prevent in-breeding.
However, Spartan's type 10 pollen would be accepted by Cox or Kidd's, although Spartan's type 9 pollen would be destroyed. You would get partial pollination in that instance.
Even better, Golden Delicious' pollen (type 2 & 3) would be fully accepted by all the others and it would readily accept type 5 and 9 pollen. You would get full pollination and very heavy crops in that instance.

Most apple trees will get pollinated by pollen brought-in by bees from apple trees in nearby gardens. Be patient because young trees will usually drop all their fruit for the first couple of years until they've settled-in to their new home.

I doubt that you'll need a pollinator and I would recommend that if you buy one, you find a suitably pest and disease-resistant variety that flowers at the same time.
I would be happy to offer some suggestions.

[Crosby]

Oops. I'd better not show this post to the wife, she'll have a right go at me for buying another plant.

Seriously, many thanks for the detailed reply. Although you can find out most stuff on the net I still believe that getting advice from someone experienced is still the better option.

If you could suggest some varieties that would be great.

Thanks,

Brian

[FB.]

With the mid and late-flowering apples (which includes your Flamenco), pollination isn't usually a problem as the bees have managed to pick up pollen from numerous apple trees (including crab apples) in the early and mid flowering groups.
The ballerina trees, after a couple of years to establish themselves, usually produce such vast amounts of blossom that they manage to set a good crop.

I would stick with what you've got and if they haven't been well-pollinated by the end of next year, then maybe consider a pollinator. Bear in mind that one or two fruits (depending on fruit size!) per flower cluster is about the maximum crop that a tree can carry without becoming too stressed or producing small/poor quality fruit - so don't expect every flower to turn into a fruit.

I can offer the following thread that contains observations on my own apple trees:
> Link here <
Your Flamenco should pollinate with a "mid-late" flowering variety, but the precise flowering time will vary form one season to the next and can vary with the micro-climate of where the tree is planted, and will vary depending on the rootstock that you choose. Most Ballerina trees are grafted to MM106, which tends to slightly bring forward the flowering time as compared to trees grafted onto other rootstocks.

[Crosby]

Once again thanks for the detailed reply.

I'll stay with these two then and see how they go over the next year and a half before looking to add another pollinator.

Hopefully there are some people in the area that have an apple tree that the bees that visit me also visit.