I had two apple trees in my yard, both bought last year, a macintosh and a macoun. I was told they would pollinate each other, but it turns out they flower at different times. the macintosh has been flowering for a while (petals are starting to fall off), and the macoun hasn't started. I went out today and bought a braeburn after speaking to the wholesaler who said the braeburn, which is flowering would bridge the two. It occurred to me that maybe I could play bee, so I took my daughter's watercolor paintbrush and brushed the the flowers on both plants, going over each one back and forth. could that possibly work or was I just being silly? I guess I'm a bit concerned that the macintosh will shortly lose its flowers and the bees will be too late in getting around to take care of business. also, is there any way of telling when the macoun will flower or is about to flower from looking at the leaves? thanks for any information, jeff
If they are cross-compatible and the flowers of both were in receptive stages of development you may have succeeded. Braeburn is a fussy one, check on local suitability before planting.
