Not as many Apples on my tree

[DavieC]

Hi all, had a look at my apple tree yesterday in readiness for Cider making but definitely not as many Apples to go at this year, also went to look at some of the other trees I can forage off and apples seem sparse on those as well, is it just my area or has anyone else noticed this?

 

[jayk34]

It's a well known occurance with some fruit trees that have a heavy crop one year and then exhaust themselves and don't produce as much next year.

Can be mitigated by ensuring that they are watered, mulched and fed well at appropriate times. Also thinning buds in a good year so you don't get as many and the tree has enough energy to produce for the following year. Harsh frosts around the time of flowering may also affect the current years crop.

 

[Tanglefoot]

This year near me I noticed a lot of trees/bushes have flowered early.
Missed the boat earlier in may with elderflowers ( berries now ready for picking ) sloes are fruiting though still green.
Already some ripe blackberries about, my wild, self seeded plum tree has makings of a decent crop and there are crab apples in the hedgerows.
Pears and apples in my garden both are plentiful - as pointed out above localised frosts can make a big difference.

 

[VW911]

Most apple trees fruit in two year cycles.
One year good, next year not so good.
One of my younger trees (planted 3 - 4 years ago) has dropped all but one apple!

 

[DavieC]

Thanks folks,great feedback, that all makes sense, the tree in my garden is very old and last year was a heavy crop,we have a young plum tree that got caught by the frost earlier this year and only has a handful of plums also. I'll have to be resourceful in the search for this year's apples.

 

[An Ankoù]

Just to be perverse, I had a rubbish year last year, even the wild trees had nothing on them, This year looks as though it's going to be a bumper crop, though, so I'd better get my press ready.

 

[DavieC]

Drink some of it for me @An Ankoù

 

[An Ankoù]

Drink some of it for me @An Ankoù

Will do. This year I'm going to have a small crop from some new trees I put in: 2 Dabinetts and 2 Yarlington Mill. The Stoke Red hasn't produced anything yet. I'm really hoping this is going to give the bulk of juice from dessert apples a bit of a West Country flavour. I'm not too fond of French cider and really miss a pint of proper scrumpy.

 

[DavieC]

Sounds good, I'm sure you'll enjoy it, I'll have to find some more trees for this year or I'll only have a couple of litres!

 

[bobukbrewer]

My bramley cropped heavily every year for 48 years, but the last 3 years were nil (it did not even blossom), ok, then this year a very modest crop has mainly dropped onto the floor. Damson tree has a massive crop, I am having to prop up some branches.

 

[pilgrimhudd]

Hardly any apples on any of mine this year either, think it was that cold wind in may/june. Conversely, loads of plums and the first couple of greengages.

 

[Tanglefoot]

Some early windfalls of a dual espalier, Golden Delicious (tiny but smell fantastic, sweetness variable )
and Sunset ( crisp,sharp zingy but sweet ).

Plenty of Bramley's too, lucky as my neighbour has lots of eating apples
which I used for wine making last year.

 

[Moonraker]

It's the weather. Spring still had frosts quite late as the blossom was just budding or flowering. I've got a few apples on one tree but nothing on the others and no gooseberries, plums, pears, quince or mirabelles on the other trees, nothing. Hoping for a better harvest next year.

However in the meantime I have been in contact with a generous lady a few miles down the road in Dorset who has an orchard of over 10 mature fruit trees and who lives in a sheltered hollow in the downs, the frost didn't get any of them and I can take as much as I like in October in return for a couple of litres of the finished product.

 

[Sandimas]

It's the weather. Spring still had frosts quite late as the blossom was just budding or flowering. I've got a few apples on one tree but nothing on the others and no gooseberries, plums, pears, quince or mirabelles on the other trees, nothing. Hoping for a better harvest next year.

That's what I thought, similar spring here up by Malvern.

However, I've just had the biggest crop of plums ever, off just 2 trees. My Yellow Egg Pershore Plum tree produced 5kg of fruit which has made a lot of jam.

 

[jof]

Yes, bad spring didn't help.
We had blossom effected by late cold snaps, then we lost all pears & plums due to high winds.
We only have apples because I tied the tree to the fence in an attempt to train it a bit better last year

 

[DavieC]

Seems like quite a few trees have suffered this year, in fact it's looking like turbo cider only for me this time round....although actually in its self that's not so bad..

 

[freester]

A lot of apple trees blossomed this year before a late frost harmed the blossom. Also some apple trees are bi-annual, good crop one year not so good the next. Biennial Bearing can be difficult to fix.

 

[jayk34]

What was everyone's harvest like this year. I've had a bumper year this year and have diced and frozen loads, dried loads and intend to make chutneys tomorrow night.

 

[pilgrimhudd]

A shed load of Apples, even got some off our 2 (or 3 year old) cooker, Howgate Wonders! We've got 3 apple trees and they've all done well. Also had shed loads of currants, raspberries and loganberries. But, no plums, greengages and a very poor crop of gooseberries.

 

[jayk34]

My rhubarb hasn't stopped all year. The strawberries were brilliant. The Chilean guava bushes are looking full as usual this year too. Another month or so and they will be ready.