Pollination Group 1 apples in cool climate

[Jovial Monk]

I have 3 Antoinette French cider apple trees (bought this year) which are PG1.

They could blossom in winter here! Average minimum temperature in July (winter Down Under) is below 1°C but above 0°C. So spring frosts a possibility.

Can I delay blossoming?

Do I need to and how would I protect these early blossoms from frost? What about PG2 apples like McIntosh? Thinking of a polytube over rows 9 & 10 of 10 rows espaliered apple trees. Reading about the quality, complex cider made from Antoinette I am thinking of buying 2-3 more.


JM

[CGJ]

Hi JM,

From personal experience, pollination groups are a rather coarse
estimate. Actual pollination order can be effected by nanoclimate and
particular siting.

In my small hobby orchard, I put the earlier blooming groups on the west
side (catching only the cooler morning sun), and later groups on the
east side (catching the much warmer afternoon spring sun). All bloom at
just about the same time, but gravenstein (group 1) is the most westward
and can actually bloom a bit later than hewes (3) which is more
eastward, and roxbury (4) which is in the middle bloomed first (until
the deer got to it).

Carl
West Barnstable
Massachusetts