Topic: Time out!

[tricia]

After a bumper harvest last year, all four of my apple trees have failed to bloom this year. Not a single blossom! I've read that this does happen - but for all of them, Grenadier, Jonagold, Braeburn and a usually prolific unknown from Lidl to go on strike is a first for me  .

The two cherry trees, Sunburst and Morello, and the family pear tree are all in full bloom so I'll, hopefully, get some fruit this year!

Tricia 

[Flighty]

What a shame, and annoying.  I hope that the cherries and pear do well.

[galina]

Just a thought.  I don't have a single apple blossom either - yet!  Apples flower later than plums and cherries and pears.  They flower after the foliage arrives and not before like plums.  I hope that in a couple of weeks you will have lots of blossoms. 

[Digeroo]

I had this happen last year, most of my trees failed to flower.  The flower buds are much bigger and a more pointed shape so even before they open you can see which are which.  Luckily our rather large Discovery had about 1/20 of its normal but they were mostly only on one side. But that was still enough.  This year three trees have no flowers but they are the only ones that did well last year.
I am pleased to say most are looking good this year.

[saddad]

Many apples do become biennial bearing with age... cutting out a lot of the buds in the bumper year can make some go back to every year allegedly.

[Digeroo]

Perhaps that is why I got flowers/fruit on one side,  it had got rather big so I given it a bit of a hair cut.  Perhaps I need to give part of it a hair cut every year.  It was the first year it had happened in about 30 years, it had always been covered in flowers and fruit.

[ancellsfarmer]

Pruning for fruit is normally done in July. Plenty of references online and in books. essentially, it is a case of shortening this years new growth to 1 bud. Pruning for shape/form is done in Dec-Jan

[Plot 18]

I pruned my 5 yr old Braeburn apple in the summer last year, the first time I've summer pruned, and it is covered in blossom - or was until today's wind and rain started  Fingers crossed it's not ruined the lot!

[galina]

We have since yesterday the very first blossoms on the big Bramley tree. 

[tricia]

Lucky you  . I have today discovered two small clusters of blossom on my Braeburn and one at the very top of the Jonagold, so if the bees do their job I just might get a couple of apples after all .

Tricia

[galina]

Great news Tricia

[cambourne7]

Mine have really struggled last 2 years with thrips so pruned back hard and will be treating with nematodes next week but there is more blossom this year than i can remember. With the weird weather we have had am more than surprised i have even that !!