Fuji Apple
Pollination & Compatibility Guide
Fuji apple pollination partners, bloom group 4 timing, and storage traits. Grower guide covering biennial bearing control and late-season harvest demands.
Fuji is Self-Sterile (Needs 1 Partner)
Fuji needs at least one compatible pollinizer from bloom group 3–5 to set a reliable crop.
- Chromosome Ploidy
- Diploid (2n)
- Required Companions
- 1 Diploid Partner
- Bloom Group
- Group 4 (Late-Spring)
- Harvest Timing
- Late (+15d 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 (69)
| Cultivar | Bloom Group | Overlap Type | Harvest | Primary Uses | Interactive Test |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group 4 | Full Overlap | Late Concurrent (±0d) | Fresh Eating | Test Cross | |
| Group 4 | Full Overlap | Late Concurrent (±0d) | Fresh Eating | Test Cross | |
| Group 4 | Full Overlap | Late ±5d delta | All-Purpose | Test Cross | |
| Group 4 | Full Overlap | Late ±5d delta | All-Purpose | Test Cross | |
| Group 4 | Full Overlap | Late ±5d delta | All-Purpose, Storage | Test Cross | |
Newtown Pippin | Group 4 | Full Overlap | Late ±5d delta | All-Purpose, Storage | Test Cross |
White Winter Pearmain | Group 4 | Full Overlap | Late ±5d delta | All-Purpose, Storage | Test Cross |
| Group 4 | Full Overlap | Late ±5d delta | All-Purpose, Cider | Test Cross | |
York Imperial | Group 4 | Full Overlap | Late ±5d delta | All-Purpose, Storage | Test Cross |
| Group 4 | Full Overlap | Late ±10d delta | Cooking | Test Cross | |
Tydeman's Late Orange | Group 4 | Full Overlap | Late ±10d delta | Fresh Eating | Test Cross |
| Group 4 | Full Overlap | Late ±15d delta | Fresh Eating | Test Cross | |
| Group 4 | Full Overlap | Mid ±15d delta | All-Purpose | Test Cross | |
Melrose | Group 4 | Full Overlap | Late ±15d delta | All-Purpose, Storage | Test Cross |
Tolman Sweet | Group 4 | Full Overlap | Late ±15d delta | Cooking, Cider | Test Cross |
Incompatible Varieties & Exclusions (19)
These varieties overlap in flowering time with Fuji 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.
A sport of the same cultivar — genetically identical, so it carries the same incompatibility alleles and cannot pollinate it.
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.
A sport of the same cultivar — genetically identical, so it carries the same incompatibility alleles and cannot pollinate it.
A direct parent (Fuji × Honeycrisp) — roughly half the pollen is non-functional, so it is not a reliable partner.
Fall Pippin produces no viable pollen, so it cannot serve as a pollinizer.
A direct parent (Ralls Janet × Red Delicious) — roughly half the pollen is non-functional, so it is not a reliable partner.
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.
A sport of a direct parent (Ralls Janet × Red Delicious) — genetically identical to that parent, so roughly half its pollen is non-functional and it is not a reliable partner.
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: Fuji Pollination, Biennial Control & Season Length
Fuji is a diploid, self-sterile cultivar bred in Morioka, Japan, from a cross of Ralls Janet × Red Delicious. Flowering in bloom group 4 (mid-to-late season), Fuji produces abundant viable pollen and cross-pollinates readily with compatible diploids such as Gala, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Braeburn, and crabapples like Dolgo.
Parentage exclusions require strict attention: Because Red Delicious is a direct parent, Red Delicious and its bud sports share S-alleles with Fuji and cannot be relied upon as exclusive cross-pollination partners. Similarly, modern crosses such as EverCrisp (Fuji × Honeycrisp) and sports like Daybreak Fuji are incompatible companions.
Fuji has a pronounced tendency toward biennial bearing. In 'on' years, prolific fruit set must be aggressively thinned before June drop to ensure sufficient return bloom the following spring. Leaving excess crop on the tree drastically reduces next season's floral bud differentiation.
Climatically, Fuji demands a long growing season (160–180 frost-free days) and warm autumn temperatures to achieve full sugar accumulation (frequently exceeding 15–17° Brix) and dense flesh firmness. Late secondary blossoms ('rat-tail bloom') are highly susceptible to fire blight strikes in warm spring weather.
Key Orchard Considerations for Fuji
Thin promptly to single king fruitlets within 14–21 days of full bloom to break severe biennial bearing cycles.
Requires long frost-free autumns and high heat unit accumulation for full starch-to-sugar conversion and red striping.
Do not pair with Red Delicious or bud sports like Daybreak Fuji as sole cross-pollinizers.
Take Fuji 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 Fuji 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.