Topic: Apple hasn't flowered??

[Morris]

This is odd. I've a 5 year old apple tree I just realised probably isn't going to flower at all this year. Its pollination partner has been in full flower for over a week. I went and had a look today and realised the leaves are fully out and new branchlets growing, but there are absolutely no sign of flower buds.

The tree fruited OK last year, and has had no sign of disease.  I thought biennial bearing always meant flowers but fruit not setting?

Any thoughts please?

[tonybloke]

More info needed please!

which variety is it?

did you prune it during the winter?

[Morris]

Bother I knew I'd get asked this - I think but am not 100% certain it's Fiesta.
It is an eating apple with large (grapefruit sized), red streaked, very crisp aromatic fruits; it ripens in about Oct.

It was only pruned lightly for shaping as it is a young tree still, just taking out the odd inward facing branch and shortening whippy ones.

It was planted 4-5 years ago as a 2 year bush on MM106. It's fruited every year although I took most off its first year. In the winter it looked normal with lots of fruiting spurs.

There is literally not a single flower or bud.  I am sure the leaves are far more developed than an apple usually is before it flowers?  ???

Thanks.

[Robert_Brenchley]

Could it be a tip bearer? If so, pruning could have taken off the wood which would have flowered this year.

[tonybloke]

Could it be a tip bearer? If so, pruning could have taken off the wood which would have flowered this year.

beat me to it!!

[Morris]

Nope, thanks for suggestion, but definitely not! It has fruited well in the past couple of years and is a confirmed spur bearer. 

I also only lightly pruned a few branches leaving the main framework intact, so I don't think it can be caused by pruning as it is a total rather than partial lack of flowers.

Any other suggestions?? I am stumped.

[Digeroo]

We have a golden delicious which produces very few flowers/fruit everyother year but it has never produced nothing.    But actually all my apples are blessed with a bumper crop of flowers at the moment.  But we did have a crab which suddenly stopped flowering and it then got a fungal infection. 

[jennym]

Apple trees sometimes don't flower each year, it'll flower next year if you've got a decent structure and fruiting spurs developed. Biennial doesn't always mean flowers but no fruit, though that's what people usually notice. It might help if you thinned out more of the fruit earlier next year.