By Spottedray
wales,
United Kingdom 
Do you need 2 diffirent varieties of apple tree to get fruit?
Hello everyone.
I fancy planting an apple tree in the back garden. Actually this one:-
http://www.gardenbargains.com/item-500230/elstar-apple-2-year-old-5-ft-tall-bare-root-fruit-tree.htm
Is it correct that 1 tree on its own will not produce fruit because of lack of pollination? And indeed you have to have another tree of a different variety (which flowers at the same time) in close proximity to cross pollinate. I really don't understand this pollination thing.
Many thanks.
8 Jan, 2013
Answers
If, like me, you live in a rural or semi-rural area, there is a good chance that a neighbour will be growing another variety that will act as pollinator. Even a wild crab apple half a mile away would do it. You only have to have a pollinator variety if there are no other apple trees around or to be certain. That is for diploid varieties. Just as a point of interest, and it will not affect you, a few rarer varieties are actually triploid. I have one, a Rene Descartes, which requires two other pollinators, and all three have to be different types. Lol.
9 Jan, 2013
If you only have room for one tree look for a family tree, we have two in the garden planted many years ago by previous owners of the house, they have two or three compatible varieties grafted in my case onto dwarfing root stock.......
No idea of the varieties but they are lovely eaters. And one has a small cooker
9 Jan, 2013
Elstar is self sterile, flowering group 3, so you will need another tree, you can use a flowering group 2, 3 or 4
eg, adams pearmaingroup 3, alkmene group 2, arthur turner group 3, there are loads to choose from, you can google groups 2 3 or 4 and just choose 1 you like, Derek.
8 Jan, 2013