Apple tree flowering now

[Baccy Man]

In my back garden I have a hedge made of columnar fruit trees this morning I noticed that one of the apples was flowering. It is a self fertile cox already covered in apples which will be picked when I next get a dry day, the majority of the flowers have appeared everywhere it was cut back to when I did the summer pruning. This has never happened before so I assume it is down to the weather we have had this year but I am not sure wether I should leave the flowers on or remove them. I usually get mild winters as my garden is quite sheltered & am still picking strawberries at christmas the fruit trees don't usually lose their leaves until Jan - Feb then start growing agin in late April so it is possible I would have enough time for a second crop to ripen if we have a mild winter but I don't know how this would affect the health of the tree.
Has anyone got any suggestions on what I should do?

[Baccy Man]

[calendula]

leave it, nature will do its thing in time

[tin can]

I have about 6 flowers on my 5 year old apple tree...and about 20 apples nearly ready to pick!
Think I'll leave the flowers alone.

[robkb]

I noticed this on one of my mother-in-law's apple trees a couple of weeks ago. I assume it's down to this year's doolally weather and things will sort themselves out next spring? ???

Cheers,
Rob ;)

[Robert_Brenchley]

Assuming next year isn't as cockeyed as the last two.

[SnooziSuzi]

hmmmm  there's a magnolia tree at work which usually only flowers once a year, but it's burst back into life again last month!! 

Not sure about your apples tho' - where's oldman otw when you need him!?

[davholla]

What are columnar trees ?  This sounds like something I would like to try.

[Baccy Man]

I got them from  Chris Bowers & Sons see the site for more info. http://www.chrisbowers.co.uk/supercolumns.php

The apples & pears mostly fruited on the first year cherries & plums on the second year. You need to keep on top of the pruning to keep the shape.
To give you an idea of yiels the apple tree I was originally posting about I have had for 8 years it is 7' tall & had 53 apples left on it when harvested although I suspect the neighbours kids had pinched a few, they usually do. I had previously removed about 2 thirds of the fruit that set because there was no way the tree would of supported 150 odd apples & the June drop didn't cause it to drop enough.

If you do get some trees I would strongly reccommend you try the apple "scrumptious" I bought one last year & it really does deserve the name.

Getting back to the original post I was discussing the flowering apple tree with an arborist I know & he said most apples will produce a second & occasionally a third crop each year if the growing season is long enough so leave the flowers on & hope we have a mild winter.

[davholla]

Thanks for the explanation.  I was thinking of buying minarettes and I did not realise that these were the same under a different name.