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Fruit & Orchards

Plum and apple trees not producing fruit at 6 years old

11 years ago

I have a plum tree that we got about 6 years ago. It flowered and produced 2 good-sized fruits the first year. Then, its tall central branch that grew straight up, died and broke off. It has not grown more than about 1 inch each year since then. It is about 3 feet tall now. It has not flowered or produced fruit since then. We also have 2 apple trees-also 6 years old- one McIntosh and one Golden Delicious. The McIntosh has only grown maybe 6 inches since we got it and has produced two tiny fruits the year we got it. It has not flowered since. Neither has the golden delicious, which has grown a lot- from about 4 feet tall to almost 10. We also have a hybrid Bing/Tart Red Cherry tree, if that helps at all, and a patch of woods containing ash, elm, persimmon, and sassafras trees, honeysuckle, and blackberry vines. Does anyone have any suggestions or answers as to why they do not bloom or produce fruit? Thanks.

Lydia

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Comments (5)

capoman
11 years ago
Sounds like there is something about the cultural conditions you are growing in, such as saturated roots, or extremely low or high pH.

We really need more info. What is your soil like? Wet or dry? Clay or sand? pH? Any soil imbalances? How much sun do they get. What do you do for fertilizing, mulching or watering? What do the leaves look like, such as color, mottling etc. Do you see any signs of pests or disease?
Lydia48
Original Author
11 years ago
We don't water it, as we get a mild amount of rain here. Not too much, but just enough to keep the soil a little moist. Our soil pH is 6.5. We have horrible clay soil that, when it gets dry, is like a rock. We don't have any soil imbalances that I know about. We tried some miracle-gro fruit tree fertilizer stakes that we got from our local nursery. The leaves don't have any mottling or spots or other imperfections. They are a light green color, as most plum tree leaves are. They look like these leaves http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRg2VR-rKLwEAAPVEqooo6rV1YWFDcYIQdquzJJWePLH4-x5OkZ
Except without the plums, obviously.
Now about the apple trees.
The bigger one (GD) got the same fruit tree stakes but to no avail. Its leaves have cedar rust, but it is because our neighbors have juniper and cedar trees. It never affected the 6 huge and beautiful McIntosh and GD-Mutsu Hybrid trees we had at our old house, which is about 2 miles away from our current house with the same weather and soil conditions, and the trees were in the exact same amount of sun. There are no visible signs of pest or disease on any of the trees. the only things that have ever bothered them are japanese beetles, which we have only had twice, so that doesn't seem to be the problem. Our average temperature throughout the year is around 79. We get around 40 inches of rain per year and all the trees are in full-partial sun, leaning more towards full. What I am wondering is, do nurseries that supply local nurseries and garden stores with fruit trees, put some substance on/in the trees to force them to produce fruit? It seems like every tree i have ever had, produces fruit the very first year I plant it, then it starts up again 2-3 years later. Do you know the answer to this? Thanks again.
Lydia
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nms: My advice is to stay away from large, 6-7 foot fruit trees in the expectation they will fruit sooner. They may, but they also may not, and larger trees have a harder time adapting than smaller, younger trees, which will usually catch up and pass them in about 3 years. The best fruit trees to plant are small, 1-year whips. Some fruit trees may bear in the 2nd year after planting, but I agree with the others above that it is best to remove any fruit that forms until the third year. And the third year is not a gimme either. Many fruit trees do not produce what could be called a significant crop of a dozen or more until year 5, and European pears even later. Fruit trees not only have to bloom, but also pollinate, than get past the early insect damage that bothers so many of them. If there is one important area to focus your attention when first planting fruit trees, it is the insects and diseases that may attack them, and how to deal with those problems. This is much more important in the long run than worrying about producing fruit the first or second year. Plant some radishes for quick results. Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA
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The fruit trees should produce at least a few fruits by the fourth year. That's really when the trees have become semi-mature. This could mean you will have to wait for summer next year (because the first year does not count if it was not planted in the spring). If you still do not see any fruit appear on any of your fruit trees by next year, something is likely wrong. Maybe you are giving your trees too much fertilizer? That can sometimes delay fruiting. Also where is your location? If you are in climate zones 8-10, the trees might not be getting enough chill (and if that is the case there are certain things that can be done to help counteract this). Or your area might have experienced late chill this year, which prevented fruit from forming. Are the crabapples sending out blossoms at the same time as the apples? Have you seen any bees visiting the blossoms? How close are the pear trees to each other? If they are more than 20-30ft apart, that may be making pollination difficult in the early years.
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blazeaglory
11 years ago
Insufficient chill hours?
calliope
11 years ago
If the the apples are standard sized trees, the lack of fruiting doesn't concern me nearly as much as the lack of growth. That's totally abnormal. Did you plant these trees or were they on site when you moved there. What kind of container did they come in or were they bare root or balled and burlapped. Has your soil been tested? Was your present home a new construction when you moved in?
alan haigh
11 years ago
You need to have a gardener check your soil or to contact your county extension and provide them with a soil sample. Your soil may be too compacted, too wet (heavy clay) or something less predictable. Is it easy to dig? Is it generally moist but not soppy? Where to begin? Do you have any friends at all who are competent gardeners?

Fruit isn't the issue- tree vigor is.

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