No apples this year!

[Eric Hardy]

We normally expect a reasonable crop of apples but this year nothing seems to have set. There is nothing on our pear tree either. There seems to be a reasonable number of Victoria Plums however. Is anyone else experiencing the same?. Normally we can expect something like this on our Bramley's Seedling by September.





Eric H

[ideasguy]

Seems OK on both my apple and pear trees, Eric (last inspection at the weekend - will check again tomorrow evening!).
My problem is getting my Cambridge Gage to set fruit. Lots of blossom but the fruitlets drop off. Ive noticed them when they are just about to fall away. A slight brush with my finger and they drop off.
Its described as Partially self fertile. Ive now got an Oulins Gage (self fertile) growing close by so perhaps they will cross pollinate.
My Victoria plum is on the other side of Cambridge Gage.
My Victoria has a two year cycle - a large crop one year, and a smaller crop next.

 
 

[Palustris]

Quickly while it is working. No we have a good set on everything except the Quince and a Malus trifolia (Crab apple). Even the Greengages in the hedge have fruit on them, a once every 5 years occurrence.

[Eric Hardy]

Thanks George and Eric. Perhaps after a few years of fruiting well it just felt it needed a rest.

Sorry about your internet problems Eric. I suppose you are too far from civization for broadband 

Eric H

[Lyn and Malcolm]

Been to my 91 year old mothers garden for an hour mowing the lawn, or should I say field, as haven't mowed it for some while.
Ditto the apple trees haven't been pruned for 2 years, but they have lots of baby apples on at the moment.

I am sorry to say her garden doesn't get much attention, what with my work, our garden and every day chores. She won't pay for a gardener 2 or 3 hours a week to keep it together if I got it tidied up. It is not that she couldn't afford it.

Malcolm

[ideasguy]

That puts you under additional pressure, Malcolm. How far away does she live from you?

I'm bitterly disappointed. I checked my fruit trees this evening,and I have the same problem as you Eric.
My Bramley, always reliable, has only a few apples forming. I see little clusters of rotted flowers which either haven't been pollinated,or have some other problem. A light brush with the finger and they fall off. Some leaves are brown and dying.
Beside it, I have what I think is a Grenadier, used by the fruit growers to pollinate the Bramleys (they grow one Grenadier to pollinate many Bramley trees - they don't pick its fruit) It has only a few fruit appearing.

My Lord Lambourne has only a few fruit forming - same problem it seems.
Only one of my apple trees has a good crop.

Victoria plum has a medium crop. Czar plum has small crop. Damsons have small crop. Pears are about normal. Cambridge gage is pathetic- again  . Oulins gage has a very good crop, best ever (mind you, its a fairly young tree)

[Eric Hardy]

Been to my 91 year old mothers garden for an hour mowing the lawn,

My goodness, Malcolm, as if you didn't have enough to do. What a pity our sons live so far away 

I'm bitterly disappointed. I checked my fruit trees this evening,and I have the same problem as you Eric.
My Bramley, always reliable, has only a few apples forming.

That is a shame, George. It gives me no satisfaction knowing I am not alone. In the past we sometimes have had heavy crops and sometimes light crops but never before have we not had one single Bramley apple. I wonder what happened this time?

Eric H

[ideasguy]

I read the Pests and Diseases section of my reference book last night, but no conclusion.
More research required!

[NightHawk]

I can't offer any constructive comments in this topic as we don't have any apple, or other fruit, trees.

Laurie.

[Palustris]

You do not know just how frustrating this is.
Been out to check today and all our apples except Rev Wilkes are well fruited, even Ashmead which was heavily pruned. Bramley which fell over last year has a reasonable amount. Rev Wilkes only crops every other year and this is its year off.
Cold wind or lack of bees is usual reason for no crop.

[Eric Hardy]

After saying that we no apples on our best Bramley's Seedling I have to report the opposite on two very old Bramleys. These were old trees on the site when we built our house in 1955 so they are pretty ancient now. Both are far too high to be able to pick the fruit so we will have wait for windfalls. There are now heaps of fruit on them. Perhaps we should take to making cider  . Now I come to the curious bit. The taller of the two must be about 35 feet high and I was looking at the fruit from an upstairs window with my binoculars. I noticed that there was blossom on four or five branches at the same time as the well developed fruit. Has anyone met this before? I wonder if this blossom will set and we will get a very late second crop, albeit a small one?

Eric H

[Palustris]

Blame the weather. We had blossom on a couple of apple trees in September last year. Nothing came of them. Since Bramleys are triploids and need two other pollen bearing trees to produce fruit, unless other trees are in blossom then nothing will come of this late flowering.
Our Rev. Wilkes has fruit on it this year which is very odd as it is its year off. They are badly infected with Scab though, so probably no use anyway.
Been a lot of 'June drop' too this season, will not have to do very much thinning this time.
Cider needs apples high in tannin to be successful, better making Apple wine with the windfalls. Or Windfall jam is very nice!