FRUIT > APPLES > NOT - FRUITING

IN THIS GUIDE

APPLE Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree GUIDES

white flower blossom from an apple tree with green leaves

Brown LeavesCommon ProblemsContainer GrowingCurled LeavesCrab ApplesFeedingHarvesting & StorageNot FruitingPruningSelf - PollinatingTrainingTransplantingVarietiesWoolly Aphids

Apple trees are arguably the easiest fruit tree diagram to grow in the UK .

They are relatively gloomy maintenance and tend to require little on-going care once establish .

pink blossom on the branches of Malus x robusta ‘Red Sentinel’

However , as always in a garden , there are thing that can go wrongly , with trouble that are within our control , and some that are not .

If an Malus pumila tree fails to fruit , there are a bit of potential causes , include :

In my forest garden where I have 6 apple trees develop , I have only meet the indorsement of these issues once on one of my trees .

young apple tree sapling growing on a lawn outside and tied to a wooden support

One year , we had a sudden cold spell in fountain with strong hoar that damaged the blossoms and meant a year of non - fruiting .

In that particular representative , the reason for non - fruiting was very clean , but the effort of an apple Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree failing to fruit is not always quite as easy to discern .

We ’ll take a spirit at each of the reasons listed above , to help oneself you sour out what might be the problem with a non - productive tree .

pink flower buds and small green leaves from an apple tree branch covered in a layer of snow

1) Immature Tree

The first matter to look at if an apple tree has not fruited is that it may simply still be too young to do so .

It will typically take a few twelvemonth before apple trees commence fruiting , though exactly how long this takes will count on the variety and rhizome choose , as well as a range of other factors .

If a young apple tree is not fruit , you may just have to wait a little longer until it is matured enough to do so .

apple aphids with visible leaf damage

2) Extreme Cold

As mentioned above , this is the only issue I have happen in my own forest garden .

A sudden and unexpected late stale cracking in the spring can damage the blossoms and prevent them from being pollinated and setting yield .

Unfortunately , if you are not forewarned , then there is little you may do to keep this .

an apple tree orchard with blue sky in the background

However , if you get a forecast , you might be able to protect the flower by hide them .

terms to blossoms by the frigidness is more common with earlier flowering fruit trees , but it can from time to time happen in some region with Malus pumila tree diagram too .

3) Bird Or Insect Damage

Blossoms on an apple Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree can also potentially be damaged by birds or insects early in their increment , sometimes while in the bud before the peak even open .

One way to forestall this issue is to make certain that there are plenty of food sources ( innate and at feeders ) for the shuttle in your garden in later wintertime and early outflow , as bird will only tend to go for bud when there are no other food author usable .

4) A Lack Of Pollination Partners

Even when blossoms take shape as they should , upshot with pollenation can also lead to the non - fruiting of an Malus pumila tree .

Pollination is a very important thing to study when choose an Malus pumila Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree for your garden .

Some Malus pumila trees are ego - prolific and will fruit even without another orchard apple tree tree closely by , but many apple tree diagram will only fruit with another apple tree in the right pollination group close by .

closeup of the white flowering blossom from an apple tree with a bee resting on one of the flowers

A few need more than one other apple tree diagram to fruit well .

If you have planted an Malus pumila Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree that is not self - fertile on its own , you may require to localise another Malus pumila tree in your garden before fruit will shape successfully .

“ Malus pumila Tree often need a tree from the same or adjacent pollinating radical to ensure they are in flower at the same clock time or overlap , ” explains Master Horticulturist Colin Skelly .

pink flower buds and small green leaves growing along the branch of an apple tree

“ I have had an issue with a triploid cultivar ‘ Blenheim Orange ’ , which is in pollenation group 3 .

“ I have one other orchard apple tree from mathematical group 2 but this has not been sufficient to pollinate the triploid cultivar , which often needs 2 other cultivars in rules of order to be pollinated and set yield .

“ I have added 2 new cultivars in groups 3 and 4 this year , so hopefully I ’ll be enjoying a craw this year ! ”

gloved gardener using a pair of secateurs to cut the branch of an apple tree

5) A Lack Of Insect Pollinators

Another outcome that can lead to pitiful or non - real pollenation is a dearth of insect pollinator in your garden during the blossoming menstruum .

It is vitally of import to pull pollinators to your garden to obtain the best yields .

you’re able to help by providing pollinator with ambrosia during the period immediately prior to the sentence when your Malus pumila tree blooms .

However , wretched atmospheric condition during the pollination full point can curb pollinator activity and moderate to a poor harvest home – or even no harvest time at all .

Placing an Malus pumila tree in a suitably protect and sheltered spot can ensure pollinators can do their work even when the weather is wild .

6) Biennial Cropping

biyearly bearing is a job that can arise with apple tree which mean that they can give rise abundant fruit one year and little to none the next .

Some motley are more likely to have this problem than others .

If apple trees do not fruit for one year , they have resource that go into producing a prominent number of blossoms the undermentioned year .

Then , the abundant fruit reduces the vigour of the tree diagram and lead to gloomy sum of money of blossom and fruit the following class .

If you do nothing to redress this problem , this shape can continue over multiple years .

When I had a non - bearing year due to spring Robert Frost on one of my apple tree , I was able to prevent to a fault abundant cropping by rubbing off yield buds the following yr in former springiness .

This wreak the tree back into unconstipated product .

7) Incorrect Pruning

Pruning incorrectly or conk out to prune an Malus pumila Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree can also pass to a lack of fruit production .

It is authoritative to verify that you understand regular maintenance pruning and any other specific pruning required for the form and variety of apple Tree you have chosen.1Apples and pears : wintertime pruning . ( n.d . ) . Royal Horticultural Society . Retrieved April 11 , 2023 , fromhttps://www.rhs.org.uk/fruit/apples/winter-pruning

restoration pruning can be carried out on neglected apple tree and this can often convey them back into full and levelheaded production.2Apples and pears : renovation pruning . ( n.d . ) . Royal Horticultural Society . call up April 11 , 2023 , fromhttps://www.rhs.org.uk/fruit/apples/renovating-old-trees

8) Environmental Issues

Remember , for fruit , an apple tree diagram involve sun , urine and nutrient in sufficient amount .

A lack of light , drought in outflow or early summer and poor , sterile soil can all lead to a lack of fruiting .

So , it is crucial to front at environmental conditions and birthrate to verify an apple tree yield well over the twelvemonth .

References