skip to main content

Fruit & Orchards

Apple tree with few blossoms

14 years ago

I tried searching for this but haven't had luck so if you know of a thread and can post a link - that would be great.

I have three apple trees about 4 years old. Two of the three have very few flower buds or blossoms. Last year those same two had no flowers.

What could be going on? Are the trees too young? Too suseptible to cold? Pruned incorrectly?

Background: I'm in zone 5/6, the trees are all growing well. The one with blooms is Ginger Gold, the two without are Melrose and Gala. The Ginger Gold and Melrose are semi-dwarf, the Gala is a dwarf. The Ginger Gold receives only marginally more sun. All get at least 7 hours full sun per day.

Thanks for any info. or ideas you may have.

Cindy

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (2)

jellyman
14 years ago
Cindy:

Your 7 hours of sun may be insufficient for apple trees. You have to take into account that hours of sunlight vary substantially with the time of year. If trees are in substantial shade in the critical months of March, April, and May, that can severely inhibit formation of fruiting spurs. Some trees seem able to fight through it and bloom, but others won't.

98% of my orchard is in full, all-day sun, from spring to fall. The other 2%, a Spigold tree stuck down in the corner of the yard close to some tall neighbor trees, has never blossomed and is now over 12 years old. I have tried everything with this tree, including repeated summer pruning, which has helped many of my other trees, but this tree that gets the most shade is the one that won't blossom.

Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA
0
cinsay
Original Author
14 years ago
Don,

Thanks for the info. As they get taller they'll get more sun too - eventually. If I can get even 10 - 20 apples a year I'll be happy. It'll be easy to bag them if there are only a couple, eh? Or I'll try some other varieties.

I may try the summer pruning too. It looks like there are at least a couple of flowers this year... What does the summer pruning do to promote flowers?

Thanks again,
Cindy
0
Related Discussions
Apple tree has never blossomed
Q
Comments (5)
Mytrees: I have one of the older Fuji cultivars, Nagafu #6, on M-7, and I am pretty sure I did not see a blossom until year 7. Even now, it is a sparse bloomer. It does not help that mine has a strong tipbearing tendency, and in some years I am sure I pruned off many potential blossom buds. Now I prune it only in late summer. Agree with Fruitnut that roostock could have a strong influence on the precocity of this cultivar. M-7 is not particularly precocious. I wouldn't let your tree get any taller than 10 feet. This one is worth waiting for, but the waiting is not much fun. Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA
...See More
Apple tree that never bears more than a few apples?
Q
Comments (9)
Varieties vary widely in their precocity. It can take up to 8 years for some varieties on 111 and even M7 in my climate to begin really producing fruit. A lot depends on the soil as well. Richer soil can make a semi-dwarf behave like a full sized tree. If you are impatient, around the time the other trees are in bloom, use your pruning saw to cut a half circle through the bark right to the wood on the trunk. Cut the other half of the circle a few inches up the trunk from the first cut. This scoring will probably bring about a good flower set for the next years crop.
...See More
My Orchard; Apple Tree Blossoms
Q
Comments (2)
Very pretty, Lou, you are an amazing gardener. :o) And you take good pictures too.
...See More
New lemon tree losing the few leaves it came with – too many blossoms?
Q
Comments (11)
Hi Mike, thanks for that encouragement. I wasn't expecting to be able to produce fruit from this tree during the winter months. My first goal would just be to get a single lemon, maybe next summer, maybe the summer after that. I'm patient. The blossoms are wonderful and even just having them bloom is enough to make me happy at this point. I just want to make sure the plant is happy as well. I don't believe it has been warm enough outdoors yet to put this outside. I live in the Canadian maritimes and it's often windy and cool up here. It will be getting quite warm soon but it's only April still. Soon as it's at least room temperature outside, perhaps then is a good time to consider bringing it outside during the day? I have a cold frame I built onto the southwest face of my house where I'm growing my vegetable starts (tomato, pepper, eggplant, etc.). I just stuck it in there today and so far so good. It's about 70% humidity in there. But it still gets down to the single digits (Celsius) at night even though I cover the frame with a couple blankets. Hoping that isn't too cool for the citrus; I might bring it inside at night for the time being. It receives a minimum of 8 hours of sun. I still need to find a good liquid fertilizer. Do I have vinegar... well, sure, I've got white and apple cider in my kitchen. Is that useful for citrus trees? I'm not sure what kind of soil it came with but I can see perlite and the odd wood shaving... It looks fairly coarse. I'm not sure why it took so long to dry out the first time but I'll keep an eye on it.
...See More

Related Stories

EDIBLE GARDENS How to Add an Apple Tree to Your Edible Garden

By Marianne Lipanovich

Readily available, beautiful and fragrant, apple trees offer four-season interest along with crisp, juicy fruit

GARDENING AND LANDSCAPING Crab Apple Trees Set Off a Stylish English Courtyard

A structure of pleached crab apple trees, bordered by a wildflower meadow, links a minimalist addition to an old house in Buckinghamshire

DECORATING GUIDES Thinking Spring: Blossoming Branches

By Lily Gahagan

Cherry, Peach and Apple Flowers Make Interiors Bloom

MORE ROOMS Cherry Blossoms Spring to 100

By Becky Harris

This years marks the centennial of the beautiful trees' arrival on our shores. Below, a few ways to celebrate with your landscape and décor

PRODUCT PICKS Guest Picks: Help Your Home Blossom With Floral Decor

By Lucy McLintic

Sprinkle hints of spring around your rooms with fabrics, wall coverings and more that recall nature's charms

EDIBLE GARDENS Why Grow Quince? For Beauty, Fragrance and Old-Time Flavor

By Marianne Lipanovich

Delightfully perfumed fruit and lovely spring blossoms make this apple and pear cousin worth a spot in the garden

SHOP HOUZZ Shop Houzz: Celebrate Cherry Blossom Time

Capture fleeting cherry blossoms with inspired designs

FLOWERS 10 Beautifully Blossoming Spring Centerpieces

By Samantha Schoech

Pick a single stem or gather a bouquet. Whatever your style, there's a fresh spring floral arrangement here for you

COLOR Color of the Week: Spring Blossom Yellow

By Jennifer Ott Design

Tired of winter yet? Bring on spring with our featured color of the week

GARDENING AND LANDSCAPING Spring Blossoms Burst Into the Big City

By Living Small: City & Small Space Consulting

Warm weather has lured busloads of gorgeous flowers to New York, from shy buds to full-blown blooms

Sponsored

More Discussions

Peach tree dead buds

2

Beginner apple tree initial care

0

Is this a crabapple?

8

how to ripen Pyrus communis bosc pears

0

Wilting Sweet cherry tree

1