Crimson Crisp® Apple
Pollination & Compatibility Guide
Crimson Crisp apple pollination guide: diploid, bloom group 4, scab-resistant with fire blight susceptibility. Compatible partners and orchard notes.
Crimson Crisp is Self-Sterile (Needs 1 Partner)
Crimson Crisp® needs at least one compatible pollinizer from bloom group 3–5 to set a reliable crop.
- Chromosome Ploidy
- self sterile
- Required Companions
- 1 Diploid Partner
- Bloom Group
- Group 4 (Mid-Spring)
- Harvest Timing
- Mid (-10d from Golden Delicious)
Flowering Period & Overlap Window
Apple flowering periods are classified into numbered bloom groups (1 through 6). A variety reliably cross-pollinates with cultivars in its own group or adjacent groups (±1 group).
Any compatible diploid apple flowering within Group 3 to 5 provides matching blossom overlap.
Compatible Pollination Partners (74)
| Cultivar | Bloom Group | Overlap Type | Harvest | Primary Uses | Interactive Test |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group 4 | Full Overlap | Late Concurrent (±0d) | Fresh Eating | Test Cross | |
Hawkeye (Original Delicious) | Group 4 | Full Overlap | Mid Concurrent (±0d) | Fresh Eating | Test Cross |
Kandil Sinap | Group 4 | Full Overlap | Late Concurrent (±0d) | Fresh Eating | Test Cross |
| Group 4 | Full Overlap | Mid Concurrent (±0d) | Fresh Eating | Test Cross | |
| Group 4 | Full Overlap | Mid ±10d delta | All-Purpose | Test Cross | |
Melrose | Group 4 | Full Overlap | Late ±10d delta | All-Purpose, Storage | Test Cross |
Tolman Sweet | Group 4 | Full Overlap | Late ±10d delta | Cooking, Cider | Test Cross |
Beni Shogun | Group 4 | Full Overlap | Mid ±15d delta | Fresh Eating | Test Cross |
Snow (Fameuse) | Group 4 | Full Overlap | Mid ±15d delta | Fresh Eating | Test Cross |
Tydeman's Late Orange | Group 4 | Full Overlap | Late ±15d delta | Fresh Eating | Test Cross |
| Group 4 | Full Overlap | Late ±20d delta | All-Purpose | Test Cross | |
Newtown Pippin | Group 4 | Full Overlap | Late ±20d delta | All-Purpose, Storage | Test Cross |
White Winter Pearmain | Group 4 | Full Overlap | Late ±20d delta | All-Purpose, Storage | Test Cross |
| Group 4 | Full Overlap | Late ±20d delta | All-Purpose, Cider | Test Cross | |
York Imperial | Group 4 | Full Overlap | Late ±20d delta | All-Purpose, Storage | Test Cross |
Incompatible Varieties & Exclusions (14)
These varieties overlap in flowering time with Crimson Crisp but cannot fertilise it due to sterile pollen (triploids) or shared genetic incompatibility alleles.
Arkansas Black produces no viable pollen, so it cannot serve as a pollinizer.
Ashmead's Kernel produces no viable pollen, so it cannot serve as a pollinizer.
Baldwin produces no viable pollen, so it cannot serve as a pollinizer.
Belle de Boskoop produces no viable pollen, so it cannot serve as a pollinizer.
Blenheim Orange produces no viable pollen, so it cannot serve as a pollinizer.
Bramley's Seedling produces no viable pollen, so it cannot serve as a pollinizer.
Fall Pippin produces no viable pollen, so it cannot serve as a pollinizer.
Jonagold produces no viable pollen, so it cannot serve as a pollinizer.
Karmijn de Sonnaville produces no viable pollen, so it cannot serve as a pollinizer.
Mutsu (Crispin) produces no viable pollen, so it cannot serve as a pollinizer.
Orleans Reinette produces no viable pollen, so it cannot serve as a pollinizer.
Spigold produces no viable pollen, so it cannot serve as a pollinizer.
Stayman Winesap produces no viable pollen, so it cannot serve as a pollinizer.
Zabergau Reinette produces no viable pollen, so it cannot serve as a pollinizer.
Grower Commentary: Crimson Crisp Scab Resistance and Fire Blight Risk
Crimson Crisp is a diploid, self-sterile dessert apple from the Purdue, Rutgers and Illinois programme, introduced in the mid-2000s from two unreleased selections. It flowers in bloom group 4 and produces viable pollen, so pair it with other late-flowering diploids rather than early bloomers. Because its immediate parents are not in our catalogue, no named cultivar is excluded.
The record flags fire blight susceptibility alongside scab resistance, and that shapes the planting plan. Avoid excess nitrogen, prune in dry weather, remove strikes promptly, and be careful with warm, wet bloom periods when infection risk peaks. Scab resistance saves spring sprays but does not make this a no-input apple.
Fruit ripens about ten days before Golden Delicious in maritime north-west European conditions and is sold as a firm, red dessert apple. Narrow, upright training suits higher-density plantings, and a clear picking plan matters because colour develops late in the season. Check flesh firmness and background colour, not red wash alone, before committing crews to the first pass.
Key Orchard Considerations for Crimson Crisp
Use a fire blight tolerant dwarfing rootstock and avoid excess vigour that invites soft growth.
Scout through bloom and early summer; cut out strikes well below visible infection and sanitise tools.
Pick for colour and firmness; suits fresh wholesale and farm gate sales over a moderate storage window.
Take Crimson Crisp from Planning to Planting
Use Kropigo's free browser tools to model your block density, tree counts, and pollinizer rows, then maintain permanent orchard records row by row.
Pollination Checker
Check Crimson Crisp against supported cultivars with compatible flowering and pollination data.
Commercial Block Planner
Calculate high-density tree spacing, row geometry, and establishment costs.
Block Record Keeping
Track pruning, chemical thinning, and harvest tallies block by block from the orchard.