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#332357 Oct 6th, 2010 at 06:35 PM
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KeithP Offline OP
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I planted a dwarf apple tree about 8 feet tall. I only got 9 apples, all healthy, but I would have liked more. I have no room to plant another tree to cross pollinate, and there are no crab apples nearby. Can I buy apple pollen online next spring, and hand pollinate flowers with a small paintbrush (that wasnt used)?

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Northern Star
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Hmm, not sure if you can buy pollen..but I know that it can take years to get many apples. Did your tree have lots of blossoms??


~~Tam~ You can bury all your troubles by digging in the dirt.
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KeithP Offline OP
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Yes, the tree was full of blooms for about a week.

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Northern Star
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Seems like we only get a good year for apples every second year(kind of a biennial process it seems)..your apple tree can be pollinated by other trees that neighbors have in their yards.

If the weather was cool and wet at the time of blossoms..they might have dropped without being pollinated also.

Have you had the tree long?


~~Tam~ You can bury all your troubles by digging in the dirt.
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KeithP Offline OP
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The weather was cool when it blossomed, but not wet, and the cold extends pollination time actually. I've had the tree for 2 years, but it is at mature height (it's a dwarf variety)

There is no other trees to pollinate mine, none of my neighbors have apples or crabapples. My type of tree (dwarf jonathan) Can produce some fruit without pollination, but crop is going to be low, so that is why I need pollen for a normal crop.

I think I might have found what I was looking for here- http://www.firmanpollen.com/apple.html

Last edited by KeithP; Oct 8th, 2010 at 09:49 AM.
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KeithP Offline OP
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The pollen I ordered seems to be doing the trick, lots of flowers are setting and getting plump at the base!

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You should get the crab apples, then you don't need to worry about pollinating. Consistent year in year out. Also remember the chill hours can affect production.


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