[fallen angel]

Hi i remember being told years ago by a family member that you cant just buy apple and pear trees willy nilly as they need to both be in sink with each other to produce fruit? Does this make any sense? Is it an old wives tale or is there some truth in it?

I want to make sure as sometimes i see offers on these trees and cherry trees too but i dont always have the cash to buy them all at the same time or they dont always have all of them there.

I hope that made sense sorry.

Many thanks Nicky

[poultrygeist]

As far as I know, some are self-fertile (or at least partially) but some will require one or even two pollination partners.

I think cherries are pretty much self-fertile but I'm sure someone can clarify the situation.

Best thing is to decide what you want eg. desert/culinary, one tree or more, early/late, etc and try and find something that fits the bill.

I knwo pears are more tricky than apples.

Best of luck.

Rob

[richyrich7]

Yes as far as I know cheery are self fertile, apples do need at least one other variety of apple in flower at the same time for beat results, some require two, even self fertile apples benefit from a pollination partner. And as such most apples are divided into pollination groups, most good garden centre's will be able to pair them up. Don't forget a crab apple will do nicely  

I've never really looked into pears.

[fallen angel]

Thanks guys.

[Martin]

Keeper's Nursery here is a good site when you are trying to identify pollination partners. They have details on a very wide range of plum, pear, apple and cherry.

[vegikev]

hi fallen angel, i work on a fruit farm and the list that follows may help you

apples:
gala self pollenate very easy, our spartan have golden dels, james greive and dicovery as pollenaters, jonagold and braeburn work well, also jonagold and idereds, cox work well with russet or golden dels, dicovery and katy are good, charles ross are with red pippin and golden dels
pears:
we have williams, concorde and comice each in different orchards pollenating our conference

hope this is of some use to you