Tilton Apricot
Pollination & Compatibility Guide
Tilton apricot pollination guide: Group 3 donor, late harvest, 550-hour provisional chill estimate and site advice. Partners and bloom overlap.
Tilton Sets Fruit Alone (Partner Optional)
Named as a reliable general donor for the whole self-incompatible group, alongside Blenheim, Moorpark and Harcot.
- Ploidy / Pool
- Diploid · Pool C
- Required Companions
- 0 (Self-Fertile)
- Bloom Group
- Group 3 (Mid-Spring)
- Harvest Timing
- Late Season
- Chill Estimate
- ~550 h below 7.2°C Provisional; verify locallySource: Pomologist review, 2026-07-24 (~500-600 h)
Flowering Period & Overlap Window
Apricots flower before peach, plum and cherry, so bloom overlap and spring frost decide most outcomes. Self-fertility varies by origin: many Mediterranean-type cultivars set alone, while several North American releases need a compatible partner flowering at the same time.
Tilton flowers within the apricot Group 2–4 window. Partner-dependent cultivars need a compatible apricot whose flowers overlap in the same days.
Compatible Pollination Partners (22)
| Cultivar | Bloom Group | Overlap Type | Harvest | Primary Uses | Interactive Test |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group 3 | Full Overlap | Early | Fresh Eating, Canning, Preserves | Test Cross | |
| Group 3 | Full Overlap | Mid-Late | Fresh Eating, Canning, Drying | Test Cross | |
AC Harojoy | Group 3 | Full Overlap | Mid-Late | Fresh Eating, Canning, Freezing, Jam | Test Cross |
Canadian White | Group 3 | Full Overlap | Mid | Fresh Eating, Preserves | Test Cross |
| Group 3 | Full Overlap | Early | Fresh Eating, Freezing, Canning | Test Cross | |
Harogem | Group 3 | Full Overlap | Late | Fresh Eating, Canning, Freezing, Jam | Test Cross |
Nugget | Group 3 | Full Overlap | Mid | Fresh Eating, Drying | Test Cross |
| Group 3 | Full Overlap | Mid | Canning, Drying | Test Cross | |
| Group 3 | Full Overlap | Late | Fresh Eating, Canning, Preserves | Test Cross | |
Robada | Group 3 | Full Overlap | Mid | Fresh Eating, Drying | Test Cross |
Skaha | Group 3 | Full Overlap | Mid | Fresh Eating | Test Cross |
| Group 2 | Full Overlap | Mid | Fresh Eating, Canning, Drying, Preserves | Test Cross | |
| Group 4 | Full Overlap | Early-Mid | Fresh Eating, Canning, Drying, Baking | Test Cross | |
| Group 2 | Full Overlap | Early | Fresh Eating (Hybrid) | Test Cross | |
| Group 2 | Full Overlap | Early | Fresh Eating | Test Cross |
Incompatible Varieties & Exclusions (7)
These cultivars cannot serve as pollinizers for Tilton because their flowering does not overlap, their pollen is unsuitable, or they share the same incompatibility group.
apricot incompatibility groups are only partly mapped, so only cultivars documented as reliable donors are offered. Goldbar is not one of them — that is a gap in the data, not evidence it is incompatible.
apricot incompatibility groups are only partly mapped, so only cultivars documented as reliable donors are offered. Goldrich is not one of them — that is a gap in the data, not evidence it is incompatible.
apricot incompatibility groups are only partly mapped, so only cultivars documented as reliable donors are offered. Goldstrike is not one of them — that is a gap in the data, not evidence it is incompatible.
apricot incompatibility groups are only partly mapped, so only cultivars documented as reliable donors are offered. Perfection is not one of them — that is a gap in the data, not evidence it is incompatible.
apricot incompatibility groups are only partly mapped, so only cultivars documented as reliable donors are offered. Rival is not one of them — that is a gap in the data, not evidence it is incompatible.
apricot incompatibility groups are only partly mapped, so only cultivars documented as reliable donors are offered. Sundrop is not one of them — that is a gap in the data, not evidence it is incompatible.
apricot incompatibility groups are only partly mapped, so only cultivars documented as reliable donors are offered. Tomcot is not one of them — that is a gap in the data, not evidence it is incompatible.
Grower Commentary: Tilton as a Late Harvest Donor
Tilton is a diploid apricot with viable pollen, Group 3 bloom and no required partner in the pomology record. It is named alongside Moorpark, Blenheim and Harcot as a reliable donor for the self-incompatible group. Its harvest is late in this catalogue, which spreads picking after earlier cultivars, but its flowering still needs to coincide with whichever tree it is pollinating.
The stored chill estimate is about 550 hours below 7.2°C and is provisional. Compare it with your own winter chill rather than adopting it as a fixed rule. Apricots are among the first temperate fruit trees to bloom, and frost at that stage is the main cause of missed crops. Prefer sloping ground where cold air can drain away.
Tilton suits growers who want a dependable pollen source and a later picking window. Thin heavily loaded limbs, prune to keep light in the centre and check the graft union and rootstock details with the nursery. A regular record of bloom dates will show whether it truly overlaps your partner cultivars.
Key Orchard Considerations for Tilton
Named donor for Perfection, Goldrich and other partner-dependent apricots.
Spreads picking after earlier cultivars, though it does not change bloom timing.
Log Group 3 flowering each spring to confirm overlap.
Take Tilton 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 Tilton 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.