National Ag News
study: pay attention to what types of apples are planted next to each other
Oct 12, 2017, 11:27 AM
by
System
A Purdue University study shows that apple growers should pay close attention to the types of apple trees they plant next to each other.
Pollen from other apple varieties is necessary for fruit to grow because apple trees cannot self-pollinate. Growers often plant crab apple trees near Honeycrisp, Gala, and Fuji. Crab apples produce pollen for bees to spread to other trees.
Peter Hirst, a Purdue professor of horticulture and landscape architecture, says planting different cultivars every few rows will promote cross-pollination.
