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Do You Need Two Apple Trees to Produce Fruit? (Answered)

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Apple trees are different from other fruit trees. If you want to have some apples for your family, you must prepare your garden accordingly since it will need special care. If you fail to give that care to your newly planted apple trees, they will disappoint you with their fruits.

Gardeners must follow some rules & standard practices to get better fruit production from their apple trees. We will talk about those practices and try to help you. You will find some reasons & tips in my following tips.

Do you need two apple trees to produce fruit?

You must need two different apple trees to produce fruit because the apple tree cannot pollinate alone unless you plant self-pollinating apple trees. Since most apple trees don’t have that ability, they need different varieties of apple trees to pollinate successfully & produce fruits.

Pollination is easier for self-pollinating fruit trees, but some trees need other fruit trees’ help. For instance, the apple tree is a perfect example that different types of apple trees need to pollinate successfully.

You cannot plant the same apple trees and expect them to help each other pollinate. You have two options to get healthy or fruity apple trees.

The first option is to purchase a self-pollinating apple tree from a nursery, or you should purchase two different types of apple trees. Different apple trees will help each other to pollinate successfully with the help of bees.

The bees will play a media role between those two apple trees to pollinate. The pollination will happen through other apple pollinates.

Let’s say the type 1 apple tree will get attached to the type 2 apple tree, whereas the bee will be the medium. They mainly can’t recognize their varieties of pollen.

Let’s get through some reasons why apple trees can’t produce fruit alone and why it needs other varieties of apple tree pollen to grow fruit or bloom properly.

Lack of Recognition:

The apple tree cannot recognize its pollen or the similar type of other apple trees’ pollen.

Therefore, it cannot pollinate itself and needs some other supports or other types of apple tree pollen to bloom & produce fruit. When you purchase a self-pollinating apple tree, you can avoid such complexity.

If you go for a regular apple tree, you must have two separate apple trees that produce different pollen. Only then will they pollinate and bloom to grow fruits; otherwise, they will be fruitless and become another weed in your garden.

They are not true Pollinators:

True pollinators don’t need other tree pollen to bloom and grow, but most apple trees are not true pollinators.

They need other apple tree pollen to pollinate successfully and blossom with flowers. You may consider the self-pollinating apple tree as the true pollinator.

They will not seek help from other pollen since they have a self-pollinating system to grow and produce fruits after a certain age. You only need to give them water and a perfect environment for natural growth.

Bees Help:

Very few trees or no fruit trees can pollinate without bees, so bees are the most crucial reason why apple trees cannot pollinate alone. The bees take other apple tree pollen and transfer that pollen to the others and help to pollinate accordingly.

If you don’t have two identical apple trees, the bees will fail to satisfy your apple tree pollination.

Can you grow just one apple tree to produce apples? Does it need a companion?

You can grow just one apple tree to produce apples if you can purchase and plant the self-pollinating apple trees.

Otherwise, you cannot plant just one apple tree to produce apples since it can’t pollinate. You need two different types of apple trees to help them pollinate efficiently.

You should buy two different categories of apple trees so that they can share their pollen. The bees will help to transfer their pollen and let them produce fruits.

If you consider the self-pollinating apple trees, you must take it as a whole, and the bees will transfer the pollen to the same trees and help this tree to pollinate successfully. However, the scenario is entirely different for the common apple trees.

The regular or common apple trees need a companion from different genres of apple trees to get different pollen to pollinate successfully.

You cannot purchase the same genre of apple trees and ask them to company themselves by pollinating or exchanging their pollen. Here, the common apple tree must get another type of pollen from other trees.

You can only expect to get some fruits from your apple trees, and the number will increase daily. One regular apple tree and one other type of apple tree are enough for a family to get several apples every season. This number will increase next year & the upcoming season.

How long does it take for an apple tree to bear fruit?

It can take anywhere between 5 and 10 years for an apple tree to bear fruit. Depending on the apple tree you planted, it may take a certain number of years for it to mature and produce fruit.

Five to eight years after planting, full-size or standard apple trees can begin bearing fruit. Within two years of planting, dwarf apple trees may start to bear fruit. Establishing an apple tree from seeds can take between 5 and 10 years for the tree to bear fruit.

A crabapple can be one of the two needed for adequate pollination. After planting, dwarf apple trees will begin to produce fruit two to three years later, as 8 years may pass before trees of average size give fruit.

Tips for growing apple trees

You must follow these tips for growing apple trees, although you may find some more instructions above. These tips are an all-time favorite, and they work magically to produce apples in self-pollinating apple trees & other common apple trees.

Add Variety:

Most apple trees require pollination from another kind grown nearby to produce fruit.

Even though certain apple varieties self-pollinate, they yield more fruit when another type is nearby. So when you go to the nursery, pick up a second apple tree if you want much fruit.

Spray:

Apple trees are vulnerable to a variety of diseases and pests. It helps keep the area around a tree clean by removing weeds to prevent nutrient competition and any plant debris to reduce the spread of disease.

You should also exterminate pests while active and douse apple trees with dormant oil once a year to shield them from insect larvae and eggs that overwinter on the trees.

Prune:

You must prune your apple tree to encourage fruit production and to keep it open and balanced. In the first year, you must train to become a central leader. After that, you must prune for maintenance every year.

An apple tree produces much vegetative growth without routine pruning, eventually developing into fruiting wood.

A tree with too much fruiting wood starts to make too many apples, which weakens the tree and causes it to produce bad apples that eventually become less delectable.

How do I get my apple tree to produce fruit?

You can get your apple tree to produce fruits by the following steps. Besides, you must follow the above tips to help your apple trees start fruiting soon. Sometimes, they will take more time than a self-pollinating apple tree.

Plant Different Apple Trees:

Your first step is to plant two different types of apple trees in your garden. Before that, you can prepare your garden by creating a good seeding bed & ensuring the sunlight is there.

Also, you must ensure that the temperature is constant, and it’s summer since the apple trees cannot bear the low temperature.

Once you follow the process and plant two different apple trees, you may expect to get some fruits from your apple trees.

You cannot grow the same type of apple trees together and expect them to produce fruits soon. They will fail to give you fruits, and you will be disappointed.

Plant Self-Pollinating Apple Tree:

If you don’t find different types of apple trees, you should go for self-pollinating apple trees.

You don’t need to look for different apple trees since this tree will pollinate itself and can produce fruits without taking other pollen from bees. You should check their pollination process if you have any concerns regarding the self-pollinating trees.

You will find that the self-pollinating apple trees are able to pollinate without the other apple trees. It will save your time & effort, and you will love the simple process.

Final Thoughts

You should plant two different apple trees to help them pollinate successfully; otherwise, you must plant a self-pollinating apple tree that can pollinate itself and won’t need other pollen to produce fruits. Apart from that, every apple tree needs another type of apple tree pollen.

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