Pollinators

Last year I bought and planted 2 apple trees.  A Fuji, and a Honey Crisp.  The info I read said these trees would work as pollinators for each other.  The Honey Crisp is in full leaf, and done flowering. The Fuji is just now flowering, and starting to leaf out. It seems like if they were going to be good pollinators for each other they would be on the same schedule?  Just wondering if I need to buy another apple tree?

When the trees are young, they may not bloom the same as when they get a little older.

Usually, when they get older and the tree produces a lot more flowers, there will be a bigger flowering period spread out over a longer period of time, which usually helps cross pollination.

Fuji supposedly can do very well in hotter weather, while Honeycrisp seems to thrive in cooler weather. That's interesting that your Honeycrisp blooms first, my Fuji leafs out earlier than my Honeycrisp.  Fuji has done a lot better here so far for me in our hotter climate.

To complicate things a little further, there are different strains of Fuji and Honeycrisp (ie Red Fuji) that are completely different varieties with different fruit and bloom times but are sometimes sold under the regular variety name. Also the rootstock they are grafted onto could possibly affect bloom time (I prefer fruit trees grown on their own roots personally).

You could get another tree with a middle bloom time if you were wanting to use and plant the apple seeds.

If you are just interested in the fruit, you could graft a crab apple branch onto each tree, to help with pollination.

Or better yet if you have a friend with another variety that bloomed during the period you wanted, you could graft that variety onto each tree. Then you could get both good apples from it, and hopefully good genetics from cross pollination that may increase the chances of the seeds grown from the apples being a good tasting variety as well, if you grow the seeds!

The honeycrisp should be in the G4 pollination group which is later.  They run from G1 to G5 and typically I've heard that they'll pollinate their own group or one on either side.  I'm not sure what Fuji's group is.  This lends credence to Steve's suggestion that it may bloom later as it grows up.

Thanks for sharing about pollination groups, Mike! I never knew they were categorized like that. I did a quick search, and supposedly Honeycrisp is G4, and Fuji is G3 or G4 (I'm finding mixed results - possibly due to different varieties of Fuji), so that's good.

Bear in mind that, in addition to what others said above, other things can affect blossom time - yearly fluctuation of weather (spring arriving earlier, for example), as well as microclimates around your trees (e.g. one may have nice rocks nearby that stabilize the temperature of the ground better, or be nestled in a dip in the land that holds in cold air, or is closer to your warm house, or is in the shade of your house, etc...). Watching over several years may show a different result. You're probably fine.

But if you think you need a third tree, you absolutely do - and a 4th, and a 5th, and however much you have space for. =P

I have three Honeycrisps (from two different suppliers) and a "Fuji" and a "Red Fuji" - they haven't blossomed yet this spring, but will in about 15-30 days. If you like, I'll pay attention and record the dates they each begin and end their blooming and report it here. Mine are still young-ish, some in slightly shady areas, some in full sun, and most in an dip in the ground that traps cool air, so it won't perfectly reflect your situation, but if it gives you peace of mind I could see how solidly their bloomings overlaps.

I really wouldn't sweat it though, many sites seem to *recommend* Fuji to pollinate Honeycrisp, or Honeycrisp to pollinate Fuji, so you're most likely fine. I'd give it a year or so, and see what happens.

Jen Fulkerson wrote:Last year I bought and planted 2 apple trees.  A Fuji, and a Honey Crisp.  The info I read said these trees would work as pollinators for each other.  The Honey Crisp is in full leaf, and done flowering. The Fuji is just now flowering, and starting to leaf out. It seems like if they were going to be good pollinators for each other they would be on the same schedule?  Just wondering if I need to buy another apple tree?

In addition to the good advice already shared, I'd add that if you can,  it would be beneficial to plant a crabapple. You could graft a branch like Steve mentioned,  but I'd just plant a tree on its own personally.  Cultivars like Dolgo are very helpful for evening out pollination for most cultivars.  

I love apples, originally from Washington State.  I didn't realize until recently I could grow apple trees here.  It's hard to figure it out because when I researched it you get lots of conflicting chill hours.  From what I can tell Fuji and Honey Crisp should be ok.  Even in person I get conflicting info. my brother-in-law has Almond orchards.  He told me don't bother to get a Fuji, you will have a constant fight with fire blight.  A master gardener in my area said she has several Fuji and never had any trouble. I decided to give it a try and hope for the best.  I would like to get a Golden Delicious, not my favorite apple, but ok for cooking and preserving and I know it will do well because my father-in-law had one in his yard for years.  I would love to get a Granny Smith, and all the nursery sell it here, but I don't think we get enough chill hours for it.  
I hate that nursery's do that, especially stores like Walmart, and Home Depot.  They sell plants that don't have a chance in our clementine. I just don't understand it.  If they had any integrity they wouldn't sell plants and trees that have little or no chance to thrive.  I notice they were full of pansy's.  I live in N. California zone 9b it's getting hot.  Even in the shade those pansy's won't last long at this point.  Pansy's should be planted in fall and will bloom through winter and until it gets hot in the spring.  What do they care as long as the $$ comes in.  It's sad.  Thank you all for sharing your wisdom.  I won't worry about it.  Just try to keep them healthy and hope for the best.