Self pollination by clones?

Joanie

When we say that a tree is not self-pollinating, for instance the crabapple, can it be pollinated by one of its clones? A cutting or airlayer taken from the parent tree? Or does it have to be a slightly different cultivar to work?

I have one crab that is slower to break buds than the others, and slower to produce flowers. By the time that it has flowers, the other flowers have faded. So unless the bees have a 'crab apple bank account' and are storing the pollen, it is not getting pollinated.

If I took cuttings from this tree and planted them, could they pollinate the parent tree?

Joanie

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Graydon

Interesting question Joanie.

I'm no expert but I believe you are sort of asking the wrong question. Few plants (if I remember correctly) are actually self pollinating. The act of self pollination occurs within the flower itself as in the stamen and the stigma or pistil are in very close proximity. If not pollinated by insects they touch when the flower closes and bingo...

I believe you are asking if they are self fertile. My peach tree is self fertile meaning I only have one tree and it produces a crop. Apples (I believe) are self fertile but I think in commercial apple orchards the growers graft a branch of a different cultivar to several trees (or plant several other trees) allowing that to aid in the act of pollinating.

Don't take this as fact as Florida is all about the orange and really does not produce apples at all. I was just trying to remember what I learned years ago. The answer will be interesting, gotta try to check back and see the responses.

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Joanie

I may not have phrased it well, Graydon. The advice that I have read, is that crabs need other crabs or apples near by, in order to produce fruit. They are not self-fertile, that is what it sounds like.

So if they need other crabs nearby, do the crabs need to be of a slightly different cultivar? If an orchard, say, was all propagated from one parent tree, then they would all be clones. Without another cultivar in close proximity, and available to the bees at the same time, would the orchard bear fruit?

How different do they need to be?

And your question brings up another one... if you can graft a branch of a slightly different cultivar onto a tree, would that grafted limb be more likely to bud and blossom in closer synch to the timing of the tree? Or do you have to pick a variety that blossoms at the same time as the tree that you are grafting to?

(hey, my study has always been horses, not horticulture. Horses I have figured out... trees are still rather puzzling)

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weeble

I'm pretty sure trees that are not self-fertile can NOT be pollinated by genetically identical trees. There is some mechanism in the pollination process that recognizes genetically identical pollen and rejects it. So for many non-self-fertile trees they recommend using a second variety to make sure you dont accidentally get a clone as the second tree. I've seen some places where specific varieties are recommended for a tree, and others where varieties are NOT recommended, because of the different degrees of relationship, I think.

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Maryjane

Aka Weeble

Whistling Fish Pottery

ficusfanatic

most apples do benefit from other apples in the area. even self fertile i believe have better fruiting this way. if timing is the problem you can save some pollen stamens from an early flowering tree to pollinate later. i don't think you'd need long term storage for this.

but a grafted tree with both flowering? i know pollination would benefit but would they flower together? not as sure.

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-chris-

bonsainotwar

This is the first year my crabapple (One of bearing age.),and apple (two) bonsai bore fruit.This was thanks to some helpful blue orchard bees,that visited me in late March.I am assuming the bees helped the crab pollinate itself,as I have never seen anything about a "regular" apple pollinating a crab.Can it ?