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In June 2008 we planted a crab apple (lovely red leaves and dark red blossom) in our front lawn.  It was a tricky job, involving a very deep hole to get past the layer of hard-core that was just underneath the top soil.  We knew we were taking a risk planting it, because of the poor drainage,  but it was to celebrate our first grandchild and we thought we'd try it.  The blossom did not result in any fruit, and the leaves withered very early in the autumn.  We assumed it was dead.  However, in spring this year it did put out new leaves, but no blossom.  Can we assume that it's on its last legs, or, if not, how long should it take to develop blossom and then fruit.  It's supposed to be self-pollinating.

I have a crab apple with dark red leaves and deep pink blossom and it always looses its leaves very early.  Keep thinking it is dieing but it produces leaves every year.  It does produce blossom but is very shy on the fruit front and those it does produce are very small indeed.  Can't help on the drainage front we suffer from the opposite.

I have two other crabs and they are always decked with fruit.

Suggest you feed it.

That's encouraging.  When should I feed it and with what (I feel a song cominging on, something about a hole in a bucket?)

Well it's clearly not, self pollinating, so I would suggest it needs a pollinating partner...  :-\

Quote from: saddad on November 23, 2009, 08:00:13
Well it's clearly not, self pollinating, so I would suggest it needs a pollinating partner...  :-\

It never had any blossom so that statement is a bit premature. It seems more like the new tree was still a bit stressed from planting. It is gardening, stop rushing, give it time. The bits you can't see (roots) have been given priority over the fruit.

but she said it did blossom but the fruit didn't set - can be various reasons for that, needs pollinating, frost or some other inclement weather phase got to it and fruit trees do take time to 'get going', be patient, feed, cross your fingers, set a garden spell or something  :)

Whoops sorry, (should have gone to specsavers) Another reason comes to mind. If the hole was difficult to dig, was it on the tight side? if so it could be growing in the same conditions as a container and be root bound. Easy to find out give it a yank and see if it pops out of the ground. Then replant in a giant hole with plenty of food in the bottom and the roots  fully teasd out. Some say stake it against wind rocking. Some say you get a better root system if it does rock. I always stake.

I gave my newly planted apple trees some BFB during the early spring.   I planted some peas to climb up one and it did very well indeed.

Perhaps a bit of wassailing.  That is supposed to wake up apple trees. ;D ;D ;D ;D

thank you all for your comments and suggestions.  I guess we'll just keep waiting and seeing!  I think the hole was big enough- we did wonder if it might be sitting in a sump!  (and a sulk!)  We'll certainly try feeding it in the Spring.

Lots of apples go biennial if they have done too much in the previous year - normally this means it has made too much fruit but with a new tree it could be that the rooting and flowering alone was enough.

Don't forget that trees flower more profusely under threat - and planting a tree in June counts as a threat unless it was properly pot grown for several years (without being pot-bound ie. came from a real professional).

So it might have been forced to flower more than it should have and could very well be sulking.

Planting in June really requires at least a square metre of mulch (even plastic sheet) to maintain a nice steady moisture level.

On the other hand if there's any risk of a sump then test it with a careful test dig then do something about it - dig a drainage ditch to it's hole from lower ground or a much bigger hole (as a soakaway). Or give it a raised bed - a stone or brick one can make a nice island seating feature.

Cheers.

Just to update-  OH dug a hole just below it on the gradient last year to encoursge the water to run away from the roots, in case it was waterlogged.  I'm delighted to say that it has blossom buds!  The leaves seem to predominantly come on the tips of the branches rather than along the length, but at least it should flower this year.  A branch almost snapped in the wind last summer and I bound it up with masking tape- seems fine!