Winesap Apple
Pollination & Compatibility Guide
Winesap apple pollination guide: diploid, bloom group 4, fertile pollen donor for Stayman Winesap. Compatible partners, cider and storage notes.
Winesap is Self-Sterile (Needs 1 Partner)
Winesap 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
- Late (+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 (71)
| Cultivar | Bloom Group | Overlap Type | Harvest | Primary Uses | Interactive Test |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group 4 | Full Overlap | Late Concurrent (±0d) | All-Purpose | Test Cross | |
Newtown Pippin | Group 4 | Full Overlap | Late Concurrent (±0d) | All-Purpose, Storage | Test Cross |
White Winter Pearmain | Group 4 | Full Overlap | Late Concurrent (±0d) | All-Purpose, Storage | Test Cross |
York Imperial | Group 4 | Full Overlap | Late Concurrent (±0d) | All-Purpose, Storage | Test Cross |
Beni Shogun | Group 4 | Full Overlap | Mid ±5d delta | Fresh Eating | Test Cross |
| Group 4 | Full Overlap | Late ±5d delta | Fresh Eating | Test Cross | |
| Group 4 | Full Overlap | Late ±5d delta | Fresh Eating | Test Cross | |
| Group 4 | Full Overlap | Late ±5d delta | Fresh Eating | Test Cross | |
Tydeman's Late Orange | Group 4 | Full Overlap | Late ±5d delta | Fresh Eating | Test Cross |
| Group 4 | Full Overlap | Late ±10d delta | All-Purpose | Test Cross | |
| Group 4 | Full Overlap | Mid ±10d delta | All-Purpose | Test Cross | |
| Group 4 | Full Overlap | Late ±10d delta | All-Purpose, Storage | 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 |
| Group 4 | Full Overlap | Late ±15d delta | Cooking | Test Cross |
Incompatible Varieties & Exclusions (17)
These varieties overlap in flowering time with Winesap 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.
A direct parent (Winesap × unknown) — 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.
A direct parent (Jonathan × Winesap) — roughly half the pollen is non-functional, so it is not a reliable partner.
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 direct parent (Winesap × unknown) of the cultivar this is a sport of — genetically the same tree, so roughly half the pollen is non-functional and it is not a reliable partner.
Spigold produces no viable pollen, so it cannot serve as a pollinizer.
A direct parent (Winesap × unknown (open-pollinated Winesap seedling)) — roughly half the pollen is non-functional, so it is not a reliable partner.
Zabergau Reinette produces no viable pollen, so it cannot serve as a pollinizer.
Grower Commentary: Winesap Fertile Pollen and Long Storage
Winesap is a diploid, self-sterile American apple of obscure origin, flowering in bloom group 4 with fertile pollen. It is the parent of Stayman Winesap and is inferred as a parent of the Delicious line, so the compatibility list on this page sets those relatives aside. Because Winesap pollen is viable, it can serve overlapping late-mid-season blocks, including triploids.
Harvest falls about ten days after Golden Delicious in maritime north-west European conditions, and the record lists cider, culinary and keeper uses. The fruit is firm, very tart and well flavoured, and it stores for a long time, so it can supply farm gate sales through winter or pressing for cider.
Use a semi-dwarfing rootstock and an open canopy, and thin to keep fruit size. Winesap is best treated as a dependable cider and storage apple rather than a fresh-market headliner. Pick for the market you intend to serve: later for storage and cider, a little earlier if you want fruit that holds its shape.
Key Orchard Considerations for Winesap
Use a semi-dwarfing rootstock and an open canopy so fruit colours and ripens evenly.
Stayman Winesap and Delicious relatives are set aside as partners; check the list.
Tart, firm and long-keeping; suits pressing and winter farm gate.
Take Winesap 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 Winesap 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.