Fruit Trees

• Fruits
• Outdoor Plants
• Spring

For specific pollination information, jump to: Apple Trees | Pear Trees | Plum Trees | Sweet Cherry Trees

Fruit Trees at Ward’s are offered in 7 gallon containers making them a size suitable for planting by the homeowner. These trees are generally 6 feet tall in the ground and about 3 years old at the time of sale from the garden center.

Different types of fruit trees bloom at different times of year and some are self-fertile.

All our fruit trees have tags that identify their pollination requirements.

Pollinizing Peaches, Apricots, Sour Cherries and Nectarines

Of the varieties we offer of Peach, Apricot, Sour Cherry and Nectarine; only one tree is needed to have fruit. These are all self-pollinating. Having more than one of the same species could yield more fruit.

For Apples, Pears, Plums, and Sweet Cherries

You need two or more for cross-pollination; they are NOT self-pollinating.

Our trees are tagged with specific recommendations or you can see more pollinating information in the link below and with the following charts and information.
Pollination Information from University of Missouri Extension.

Apple Pollination.

Choose a variety from the left column to pollinate your tree selection on the top and note that some of the trees are only good pollinators for a select few.

For example, if you wanted Mutsu(Crispin) apples you could use Braeburn but the Mutsu would not give you Braeburn apples because Mutsu is not a satisfactory pollinizer.  You would need a third tree like Empire to also enjoy the Braeburn apples.

Pear Pollination.

While pear trees do not self-pollinate, nearly all pears are suitable pollinizers for other varieties that bloom at the same time. Asian Pears and European Pears will cross-pollinate each other. However, Seckel is not a good pollinizer for Bartlett.

Even though Anjou, Bartlett and Kieffer are partially self-fruitful, they should be cross-pollinated to produce heavy and regular crops.

Pear flowers produce only a small amount of nectar, which is low in sugar. For this reason, more pollinizers and bees are needed for pears than for any other tree fruit!

Plum Pollination

Most European plums either benefit from or require cross-pollination from another European variety. However, European or prune-type plums, such as Stanley and Damson, are self-fruitful.

Japanese plums, such as Santa Rosa, Burbank, Redheart, Shiro, Methley and Ozark Premier, require pollination from another Japanese or an American-Japanese hybrid. Please see the tags.

Sweet Cherry Pollination

Choose a variety from the left column to pollinate your cherry tree selection on the top. Like the apples, some of the sweet cherry trees are not good cross-pollinators.

 

Poor Fruit Set- Pollination Problems

• Poor pollination or frost during your fruit trees’ bloom period can cause poor fruit set or low yields.  To help keep soil cold longer into the spring and delay flowering, applying a thick layer (4-6 inches) of mulch over the tree root zone after a hard freeze in early winter.  This can help prevent frost from affecting the flowers.
• Confirm that the trees you select have suitable pollinators and bloom periods overlap.
• Poor climatic conditions during bloom can also adversely affect pollination. Bees travel shorter distances during cool (below 50 degrees Fahrenheit), rainy or windy weather.