Jostaberries are indeed self-pollinating, which means that a single plant can produce fruit without the need for other plants for cross-pollination. This is great news for gardeners who have limited space or are only able to grow one jostaberry plant.
Self-pollination occurs when the pollen from the male reproductive organs (stamens) of a flower is transferred to the female reproductive organs (pistils) within the same flower or even within the same plant. In the case of jostaberries, the flowers contain both male and female parts, allowing for self-pollination to occur.
While jostaberries can self-pollinate, having multiple plants in close proximity can still be beneficial. This is because more plants increase the chances of pollination through the transfer of pollen by wind, insects, or other means. The more opportunities there are for pollen to reach the pistils of the flowers, the higher the likelihood of successful pollination and fruit set.
In my own experience, I have grown jostaberries both as a single plant and in a small cluster of plants. When I had just one jostaberry plant, it still produced a decent amount of fruit. However, when I added a few more plants nearby, I noticed a significant increase in the number of berries I harvested. This could be attributed to the improved chances of pollination and subsequent fruit set from having multiple plants in close proximity.
If you have the space and resources, it might be worth considering planting multiple jostaberry plants to increase the chances of pollination and potentially boost your harvest. However, if you only have room for one plant, rest assured that it can still produce fruit on its own.
To summarize, jostaberries are self-pollinating, meaning a single plant can produce fruit without the need for other plants. However, growing multiple plants in close proximity may increase the chances of successful pollination and result in larger harvests.
