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Do I really have to take the fruit from my newly planted fruit trees?

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  • Do I really have to take the fruit from my newly planted fruit trees?

    Do I?
    "Orinoco was a fat lazy Womble"

    Please ignore everything I say, I make it up as I go along, not only do I generally not believe what I write, I never remember it either.

  • #2
    people say to, loads of people dont, i planted some 2 and 3 yr bare roots in 100L pots the nov before last and had loads of fruit last year, they are flowering fine this year so far so i cant see it being a problem i just leave it,

    if the tree cant handle it it will chuck it off, i decided that the tree knows best!
    Living off grid and growing my own food in Bulgaria.....

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    • #3
      Thankyou, I think I tend to agree with you about the tree knowing best. We will see
      "Orinoco was a fat lazy Womble"

      Please ignore everything I say, I make it up as I go along, not only do I generally not believe what I write, I never remember it either.

      Comment


      • #4
        At least for the first year, it is best to remove the fruits.
        Leaving the fruits will reduce or prevent growth (it is reckoned that it takes 15 apple leaves to support just one apple) and early fruiting will delay or even prevent the establishment of a strong, well-anchored root system.
        Bare-root trees are especially vulnerable, since they will have lost half their roots when they were dug up.
        When plants are moved or transplanted, it can take a year or two for them to adjust to the new soil, rainfall and temperature. Prolific fruiting of young trees is a sign of distress - often a failure of the roots to establish. A happy young tree should not produce many flowers for 3-4 years; it should be growing!

        Regarding early fruiting affecting a good roots system, have a read of this:


        ".....
        Anchorage:

        We have been asked to comment on recent observations on the stability of M25 and its ability to anchor well enough in standard orchards. Having spoken to others who have experience in the supply of trees and have gathered information on this subject it appears that these reports are isolated but do raise some interesting observations. On sites where this has occurred the trees affected are generally planted as a full standard tree and have started to crop very early in life. One of the benefits of M25 is its ability to produce fruit from an early age. This often demands too much of the young developing root system in the first few years causing ‘wind rocking’. Fruit thinning and/or heavy pruning may be necessary, please read on.

        ...."
        > Link here <

        I would like to add that I disagree with F.P.Matthews recommendation at the bottom of the link page, where they suggest hard-pruning a bare-root tree at planting time. I find that bare-root trees are best left unpruned until a year after they were planted.

        .

        .
        Last edited by FB.; 13-04-2009, 06:26 PM. Reason: additional comment
        .

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        • #5
          I removed about 50% of the fruit lets on my new trees in their first year..ad then in July all but about 3 were dropped by the tree!!!
          I left those to grow- cos I'm impatient like that, but they weren't that good to be honest...from now on I'll remove the mon young trees and give them a chance to set root!
          Last edited by Nicos; 13-04-2009, 06:17 PM.
          "Nicos, Queen of Gooooogle" and... GYO's own Miss Marple

          Location....Normandy France

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          • #6
            Originally posted by Nicos View Post
            I removed about 50% of the fruit lets on my new trees in their first year..ad then in July all but about 3 were dropped by the tree!!!
            I left those to grow- cos I'm impatient like that, but they weren't that good to be honest...from now on I'll remove the mon young trees and give them a chance to set root!
            I think that young trees have so little blossom that the bees don't often bother to visit them. Only when there's a lot of flowers do the bees seem interested. Lack of bee visits is perhaps why young trees don't set much fruit.

            For anyone who wants to have their fruit and eat it (to spoil a phrase) should consider using some cordons for rapid fruit production, while the bigger bushes/trees are allowed to grow.

            I opted for that strategy. Most of my apples in coming years will come from cordons, fans or espaliers and small-medium bushes.
            While I enjoy those fruits, I am growing some much larger trees that will be de-fruited until I can no longer reach to snip off the baby fruits.
            I am growing:
            D'Arcy Spice M25 "heavy standard"
            Brownlees Russet M25 "heavy standard"
            Discovery MM111 "standard"
            Annie Elizabeth MM106 "half standard"

            ...and in the meantime, I have fruit supplied by the same varieties in more dwarf form:
            D'Arcy Spice M26 cordon and MM106 bush
            Brownlees Russet M26 cordon
            Discovery MM106 fan and MM106 bush
            Annie Elizabeth M26 cordon

            I should add that I have a number of other apple cordons and bushes that are not mentioned above, but they're less important to me.
            .

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            • #7
              FB, you certainly know your stuff, many thanks for all that.
              "Orinoco was a fat lazy Womble"

              Please ignore everything I say, I make it up as I go along, not only do I generally not believe what I write, I never remember it either.

              Comment


              • #8
                I was naughty and let my new fruit trees have 2 apples each in their first year . I wanted to see what the tasted like . They were lovely and didn't seem to harm the tree at all . This year they seem well rooted and happy and are just getting loads of blossom .

                It has two chances , up or down.

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by divvy View Post
                  I was naughty and let my new fruit trees have 2 apples each in their first year . I wanted to see what the tasted like . They were lovely and didn't seem to harm the tree at all . This year they seem well rooted and happy and are just getting loads of blossom .
                  I did exactly the same thing divvy and the same thing is happening to my trees this year - loads of blossom. So hopefully loads of fruit but I may thin them. I know one purist who doesn't let them fruit for 3 years.
                  Why didn't Noah just swat those 2 greenflies?

                  Why are they called apartments when they are all stuck together?
                  >
                  >If flying is so safe, why do they call the airport the terminal?

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                  • #10
                    3/4 year wait for fruit, 2/3 year wait for asparagus and rhubarb, 1 year wait for strawberries Growing doesn't half test yer patience
                    If a thing's worth doing, it's worth doing to excess

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                    • #11
                      2/3 years for asparagus? A bit hasty there. I recommend at least 4 years from seed, preferably 5.
                      Why didn't Noah just swat those 2 greenflies?

                      Why are they called apartments when they are all stuck together?
                      >
                      >If flying is so safe, why do they call the airport the terminal?

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                      • #12
                        Even if blossom sets to fruit-lets - you will find that there will be a natural drop of the weakest specimens - usually helped along by the spring breezes!

                        It can be heartbreaking to see so many reduced to just a few - but this is nature's way of doing what you are describing.

                        By all means reduce the numbers if you are lucky enough to get loads setting - but do wait for the drop before you decide to do a manual cull!

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                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Eco-Chic View Post
                          3/4 year wait for fruit, 2/3 year wait for asparagus and rhubarb, 1 year wait for strawberries Growing doesn't half test yer patience
                          Before the modern "dwarfing" rootstocks, it was normal to have to wait more than 10 years for your first fruits.
                          There used to be various old sayings and although I forget the precise wording, they implied that planting an apple tree was for your retirement and planting a pear tree was for your children.
                          .

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                          • #14
                            I have oft heard the phrase "you plant fruit trees for the next generation."
                            Fortunately I have loads here already cos I love fruit and couldnt wait, but I have recently planted a walnut tree, 2 years old at the top of the garden. The knowledgable fellow where I bought it told me that after 2 years I should get a few, but then 2 years later it should be a decent size with a good crop. We shall see.
                            Bob Leponge
                            Life's disappointments are so much harder to take if you don't know any swear words.

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