It’s hard to google for these, so I thought I’d ask here.
I know a tart cherry can pollinate a sweet cherry if the blooms overlap. Will an apricot pollinate a plumcot? Will a plumcot pollinate an apricot (I have 2 apricots that need cross-pollenation. They should bloom together, but who knows?)
Will an apricot pollinate a Japanese plum? I have a mystery J plum that keeps dropping it’s teeny fruit off yellow stems.
And can anything other than a peach pollinate a peach? I grow JH Hale and my other known peaches are Elberta relatives, which I read might not do it for JHH. I have grafts, but that won’t be much pollen this year. Should I save All-in-One almond pollen for JHH?
I thought other people could ask similar questions here if they have them, too. I’m sure I’m not the only one who doesn’t always grow the ‘official’ pollination partner for a variety but grows (or likes) a wide range of fruit.
A nectarine should pollinate a peach. I doubt that any other stonefruit would. Aprium will probably pollinate an apricot. Pluot will a Japanese plum. But the wider crosses like apricot on plum are unlikely.
Apricots are generally self-fertile, not sure if you’re saying that you have 2 particular trees that aren’t. Like fruitnut said, nectarines will generally pollinate peaches as they’re the same species. I’m not a cherry person but as I understand it tart cherries are the best pollinators for other cherries? I think an interspecific would have a pretty decent chance of pollinating either parent species, assuming non-sterile pollen.
Thank you! I just checked, and, of the 2 apricots I group in my mind as pollinating each other, only one needs a pollinator.
They are supposed to overlap bloom, but I haven’t had blooms on either one yet because they are pretty new. They are both Stark’s trees: Sweetheart, with edible pits; and Twocot, a white that needs the cross pollen. I got the latter in an end-of-season super clearance
Not all apricots are self-fertile, and those that are will still benefit from cross-pollination for better fruit set. Apricots from the European group tend to be (partially) self-fertile and those from the Central Asian group tend to be self-sterile.
Plumcots generally have more plum-like characteristics and are more likely to cross-pollinate with plums than with apricots.
Apricots generally are self fertile, certainly as compared to apples and pears. And an interspecific is always going to vary. A plum can pollinate an apricot and vice versa. Pluots are more plum parentage and apriums are more apricot parentage, but there is clearly some mixed pollination going on or we wouldn’t have hybrids.
Let’s read T. Zhebentyayeva eta al., in M.L. Badenes and D.H. Byrne (eds.), Fruit Breeding, Chapter 12, “Apricot”, pp. 415-458.
Kostina further divided the cultivated apricot according to their adaptability into four major ecogeographical groups : (1) the Central Asian group, (2) the Iran-Caucasian group, (3) the European group, and (4) the Dzhungar-Zailij group. […] Most contemporary authors support the antiquity of apricot in Central Asia and China and recognize them as independent centers of domestication.
[…]
In China apricot production is focused on the development cultivars for fresh market, kernel production and ornamental use. The local cultivars recommended for fresh market have some individual outstanding traits, but the overall quality of these cultivars is not very good, as most of them are self-incompatible.
[…]
The Central Asian ecogeographical group is one of oldest and richest in diversity. This group includes apricots endemic to Afghanistan, Baluchistan, Kashmir, Xinjing, Uzbekistan, Tadjikistan, Kyrgystan, and Turkmeniastan. […] Most cultivars are self-incompatible.
[…]
Dzhungar-Zailii subgroup. This is the youngest of the Central Asian subgroups, endemic to the most northern distribution (up to 44° north) of apricot in Dzhungar and Zailij Alatau, as well as in the Ily valley of western China. The group is comprised of the seed propagated forms selected from wild P. armeniaca. Cold hardiness and resistance to fluctuating winter temperatures are the most valuable characteristics of this subgroup. Generally, fruits have a light yellow color, small size and are acidic with bitter kernels. However, some forms have large fruits and are self-fertile.
[…]
The Iran-Caucasian group is represented by local cultivars from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Dagestan, Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey. Some Mediterranean type cultivars in Europe have similar characteristics. Most cultivars are self-incompatible, but self-compatible forms are not uncommon.
[…]
The European group is the best characterized of the ecogeographical groups, and
is considered the youngest in origin. […] Most cultivars are self-compatible, but self-unfruitful varieties exist as well.
So, according to this research, in the three largest and most diverse groups of apricots (Chinese, Central Asian, and Iran-Caucasian), most cultivars are self-incompatible. However, I’m sure you know better than these academics.
In the context of advising the OP, yes. The fact that there are countless, mostly uncultivated apricots has nothing to do with anything discussed here. That paper points out how those cultivars are not preferred. This is a thread for practical suggestions. Take a chill pill, dude!
In the context of advising the OP, no, since it turns out one out of two of his cultivars is not self-compatible. I grow dozens of cultivars of Central Asian and Iran-Caucasian descent, as well as many other growers on this forum. The fact that you are ignorant of these varieties does not mean that they don’t exist. You made a wrong statement and then repeated it, there is nothing practical about it, just shows that you know little about the subject and refuse to learn.
Most white apricots available in the US belong to the Central Asian and Iran-Caucasian groups. These include Afghanistan, Lasgerdi Mashhad, Shalah, Shekar Pareh, Turkey, Zard, etc. Moniqui is from Spain, but based on its characteristics it, along with some other Mediterranean varieties, is genetically related to apricots from Middle East. Canadian White is likely a mislabeled Zard or some other similar variety.
Over the last few decades, the genetic material from the Central Asian and Iran-Caucasian groups has been used by the apricot breeding programs in the US (Rutgers Univ. in NJ and USDA ARS Center in Parlier, CA). Therefore, some popular varieties, of both “white” and “orange” types, are genetically related to the Middle Eastern white apricots and inherited the self-incompatibility trait. For example, Orangered (an offspring of Lasgerdi Mashhad), Robada (an offspring of Orangered), Nicole and Twocot are all self-incompatible. Another great variety with self-sterile trait is Anya which was bred from genetic material brought from Central Asia.
Twocot’s parent was Robada! The other was a white apricot, too. It will be interesting if it also tastes much different than the orange, European apricots I’m used to.
I read its patent ages ago and it also has a sweet pit.
Based on the patent, Twocot “originated in 1994 when pollen from Agricultural Research Service (ARS) apricot selection P301-110 (unpatented) was applied to the unpatented seed parent New Jersey Apricot Selection No. 73 (NJA 73).” Robada (a.k.a. K106-2), according to its patent, “was produced from a cross between the apricot variety Orangered (seed parent) and apricot selection K113-40 (pollen parent)”. So Robada and Twocot are likely second or third cousins. Another great apricot from the Orangered line is Ilona (NJA151, Harcot x Orangered), but I didn’t find info about its self-compatibility.
