Pristine® Apple
Pollination & Compatibility Guide
Pristine apple pollination guide: diploid, early bloom group 2, scab-resistant yellow summer apple. Compatible partners and early-season handling notes.
Pristine is Self-Sterile (Needs 1 Partner)
Pristine® needs at least one compatible pollinizer from bloom group 1–3 to set a reliable crop.
- Chromosome Ploidy
- self sterile
- Required Companions
- 1 Diploid Partner
- Bloom Group
- Group 2 (Early-Spring)
- Harvest Timing
- Early (-35d 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 1 to 3 provides matching blossom overlap.
Compatible Pollination Partners (65)
| Cultivar | Bloom Group | Overlap Type | Harvest | Primary Uses | Interactive Test |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Summerred | Group 2 | Full Overlap | Early Concurrent (±0d) | All-Purpose | Test Cross |
| Group 2 | Full Overlap | Early Concurrent (±0d) | Fresh Eating | Test Cross | |
Mollie's Delicious | Group 2 | Full Overlap | Early ±5d delta | Fresh Eating | Test Cross |
| Group 2 | Full Overlap | Early ±5d delta | Fresh Eating | Test Cross | |
Sansa | Group 2 | Full Overlap | Early ±5d delta | Fresh Eating | Test Cross |
Jersey Mac | Group 2 | Full Overlap | Early ±10d delta | Fresh Eating | Test Cross |
Jonamac | Group 2 | Full Overlap | Early ±10d delta | All-Purpose | Test Cross |
| Group 2 | Full Overlap | Mid ±10d delta | All-Purpose | Test Cross | |
| Group 2 | Full Overlap | Early ±10d delta | Fresh Eating | Test Cross | |
| Group 2 | Full Overlap | Mid ±20d delta | All-Purpose | Test Cross | |
Macoun | Group 2 | Full Overlap | Mid ±20d delta | Fresh Eating | Test Cross |
Duchess of Oldenburg | Group 2 | Full Overlap | Early ±25d delta | Cooking | Test Cross |
| Group 2 | Full Overlap | Late ±25d delta | All-Purpose | Test Cross | |
| Group 2 | Full Overlap | Late ±35d delta | Cider, All-Purpose | Test Cross | |
Lodi | Group 2 | Full Overlap | Early ±35d delta | Cooking | Test Cross |
Incompatible Varieties & Exclusions (12)
These varieties overlap in flowering time with Pristine but cannot fertilise it due to sterile pollen (triploids) or shared genetic incompatibility alleles.
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.
Gravenstein 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.
Ribston Pippin produces no viable pollen, so it cannot serve as a pollinizer.
Roxbury Russet produces no viable pollen, so it cannot serve as a pollinizer.
Spigold produces no viable pollen, so it cannot serve as a pollinizer.
Tompkins King produces no viable pollen, so it cannot serve as a pollinizer.
Grower Commentary: Pristine Early Harvest and Quick Handling
Pristine is a diploid, self-sterile yellow dessert apple from the Purdue, Rutgers and Illinois programme, released in the mid-1990s from Camuzat and a Co-op selection. It carries scab resistance and flowers early, in bloom group 2, so partners must open at the same time. A mid- or late-flowering diploid will often miss the window, so check overlap before planting.
Harvest is about five weeks ahead of Golden Delicious in maritime north-west European conditions, making Pristine one of the first apples of the season. It is a dessert apple and it does not keep: sell within days to a few weeks through farm gate, local markets or early wholesale.
Early blossom carries more frost exposure, so site choice and cold-air drainage matter. Handle the pale skin gently, as bruising and marking show on yellow fruit. Scab resistance helps organic and low-spray blocks, but keep scouting for mildew and insects. Thin lightly after set so the early fruit sizes up before the main apple harvest begins.
Key Orchard Considerations for Pristine
Early flowers need good air drainage; avoid frost pockets and have a frost plan ready for bloom.
Yellow skin shows bruising; use padded picking bags, shallow bins and short hauls to the packhouse.
Pick promptly and sell quickly; plan farm gate or early market sales rather than storage.
Take Pristine 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 Pristine 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.