The whole point of planting a fruit tree is to get fruit! Some will say that it's not just that, the beauty of the flowers and the light shade are appreciable. Yes but, a fruit tree without fruit smells like, let's see, chainsaw oil? wood fire? So before blaming your dealer for the poor quality of his trees, or resenting Mother Nature who must take malicious pleasure in shooting the corollas and pistils on a spring night, let's get a playmate from our fruit tree. self-sterile". Pollination in fruit trees is not systematic.
You crave cherries and - so why always the same ones? – Bigarreaux Burlat. You will need in a close vicinity, at your place or at the neighbour's, a Van or Napoleon cherry tree. The Van will bear fruit but the Napoleon will also need a Van or a Moreau cherry tree. Let's sum up, you want Burlat, also plant a Van and a Moreau and if the space allows you, add a Napoleon to the collection. Now if your fruit dealer has offered you a Summit, an improved variety of Burlat, the companions are the same, phew!
Let's take a look at the apples. Plant a Pippin Queen and you'll have the odds on your side. It is a very good pollinator for friends. It fears woolly aphids, but that's another problem we'll deal with (the problem, not the aphid) later.
Reine Claude plum trees pollinate each other, mix Reine Claude Dorée, Oullins, and Althan. Add a mirabellier and the harvest is guaranteed, at least every other year...
Among the pear trees, it is Williams who wins the palm of the best buddy. And with a Conference or a Deanery of the Comice, he will also do his share of production.
The above lists are not exhaustive. But there is another parameter to take into account, it is the rootstock. It is preferable that the rootstocks are identical between the species otherwise the flowering date may differ from one plant to another. Then there, it will be necessary to count on the trees of the neighbor and the good will of the bees to make the km necessary to the transport of the pollen.
My selection of self-fertile fruit trees, those that manage on their own…:
Bigarreau St Jean cherry tree, Delbard Jubilee apple tree, Roussillon red apricot, Red Haven peach, Champion quince, Plum tree Reine Claude d'Althan but I'm not fully convinced, Poiriers is a disaster for me, so I'm not talking about it...
That will make you two kg of fruit of your choice…
