Choosing Varieties to Graft to Improve Pollination

[zfw]

Hello, I am relatively new to growing fruit and very new to grafting. I live on a small plot and understand that grafting different varieties onto one tree can help improve with pollination.

I also understand that different varieties bloom at different times, and that your graft variety should bloom around the same time as your primary variety. Is that the one rule to consider, or can anyone recommend resources for selecting the best companion varieties to graft?

For context, I live in NY (zone 7) and would like to graft additional varieties onto the following trees next year:

red haven peach
madison peach
red bartlet pear
comice pear
montmorency cherry

[poncirusguy]

red haven and madison peach and Montmorency cherry are self pollination and need no other trees to set fruit.

[zfw]

I’m aware of that, but I’ve read that additional nearby varieties will only improve fruit-set. They are technically self pollinating under perfect conditions, but additional varieties will increase yield.

My Madison only produced 3 peaches this year, so I’m looking for ways to improve the situation.

[Fusion_power]

Possibilities for pear pollinators include:
Blakes Pride
Harrow Delight
Harrow Sweet
Honeysweet
Potomac
Shenandoah

I have not verified which of these are pollen sterile. Honeysweet looks to be self-fertile so probably the best choice in terms of being a pollinator.

[Lech]

If I remember correctly. Some old polish books mention as good pollinators for most old european pears:

• Colorée de Juillet
• Bonne Louise d’Avranches

[zfw]

What features of these varieties make them good pollinators? I’m trying to understand the selection process in general.

I should also mention that in addition to improving the pollination of my existing varieties, having more diverse varieties to eat sounds nice too!

[Fusion_power]

A variety should produce pollen, i.e. not be pollen sterile.

A variety should flower in the same time period as the variety to be pollinated.

If you want fruit from the pollinator, it should either be self-fertile or compatible with another variety.

If significant disease pressure is present in your climate, it should be resistant to that disease.

A graft compatible variety should be chosen since you plan to graft on existing trees.

Using Honeysweet as an example, it produces pollen and is self-fertile and is known compatible with Comice and Bartlett. Honeysweet has some tolerance to fireblight.

Honeysweet pear

Who grows the honeysweet pear? Cummins says this about it "Honeysweet is a great choice it you only have room for one pear. It is a spreading and precocious tree that will bear in four-six years. It is somewhat resistant to fireblight (strikes typically cork-off in wood that is one or two years old), and it is self-fertile. Cropping will, however, be improved by the presence of a pollenizer. The pollen is fertile. The fruit is large and turbinate, and it ripens shortly after Bartlett. The skin…

Of the other varieties I listed, several are self-sterile but produce pollen which can fertilize other varieties. Some may be pollen sterile meaning they don’t produce viable pollen. Do due diligence.

[zfw]

Thanks for taking the time to respond, really appreciate. Seems like honeysweet is a top choice. Do any of the other varieties stand out to you as top contenders?

[Fusion_power]

Would be hard to choose between them. All I listed have some very important positive traits.

[danzeb]

@zfw

They are technically self pollinating under perfect conditions, but additional varieties will increase yield.

Rehaven produces so much fruit it is tiring thinning them. I can’t imagine needing more fruit.

[jrd51]

@danzeb

Rehaven produces so much fruit it is tiring thinning them. I can’t imagine needing more fruit.

Took the words out of my mouth.