A good year for fruit?

**sparrow100** · 06-05-2016, 08:41 PM

My quince tree is absolutely stunning - never seen so much blossom on it. The only thing that doesn't seem to be overachieving this year is my little apple. I think digging it up has startled it.

**AkionTotocha** · 06-05-2016, 09:41 PM

My plum tree has given up this year, and last year. If nothing happens next year then it may be off to the fire wood pile. (It's inherited, and was badly mangled and neglected by the previous owner that had a thing for cutting bits off trees without care - he inherited them too. This is third year of restorative work)

Meanwhile the pear tree is covered in blossom (again, third year of restorative work) and the white current is SNIDED with strings of blossoms. If those flowers were aphids I'd pack up my gloves and give up gardening there's so many.

I was worried that snow would freeze all the blossoms off but they still seem to be attached so I'm hoping for many deliciousness this year.

**Guest** · 07-05-2016, 06:31 AM

I don't think I have more than other years but it is hard to tell with trying to improve inherited trees and planting new. My pear is smothered yet again but for a second time it has flowered the same time as the rapeseed so is in competition for the bees

The victoria plum is struggling again and the pigeons have had a good fill

by apricot out front has given up was hoping it was just frost damage however I have another pear that is improving year on year and it has had tiny honey type bees on it and bee flies and a lot of the newer trees are doing well. The apples are still to do their thing

**Jay-ell** · 07-05-2016, 07:13 AM

My fruit trees are all new, the kiwi got it's new buds frosted off the other week, my red currants are just putting out leaves now, I pruned the gooseberries on the fence back hard this year to train into triple cordons and they have a fair amount of flower, the large bush gooseberry also had a severe haircut and is just starting to open its leaf buds, the Honeyberries have half a dozen flowers each but they're only little plants at the moment, the blackberries are sending up next year's fruiting canes to start covering the arch, the black currants have some nice flowers.

The strawberries along the fence are doing great covered in flowers, nearly as high as the gooseberries.

**yummersetter** · 07-05-2016, 08:34 AM

Apple blossom is late, late, late. Just beginning to bloom. I've kept a record since 1993 of the first flowering date in the apple orchards and its usually mid April - the only years that the first apple blossom is in May were 1996 and 2006. Though how the trees count to ten, I don't understand

**veggiechicken** · 07-05-2016, 08:43 AM

What effect does late blossoming have on cropping, yummersetter?

**SarrissUK** · 07-05-2016, 10:00 AM

I have two apple trees, one in a pot, one in the ground. The big one is flowering in masses now, despite also having flowered a bit in February! I wasn't hopefully I'd get any flowers at all after that, so I'm chuffed.

The pot apple is doing nothing what so ever.

**Jay22** · 07-05-2016, 10:07 AM

All my fruit trees are in blossom, Apple, plum and pear and lots of it! I only just found out you need two pear trees to get fruit after a couple of years of getting nothing. I now have two trees but don't expect fruit this year.

**Small pumpkin** · 07-05-2016, 10:38 AM

The plum trees are a mass of flowers. Can't say I've noticed any on the apple or pear.

I've only got one pear tree and it fruits ( not well, but then conference pears aren't known for liking our weather). It's getting cut down soon and turned into lots bowls and pens. Will replace it with something more suited to our climate.

**Martin H** · 07-05-2016, 05:24 PM

Lots of blossom on my plum and pear this year, but my Braeburn apple didn't bother making any flower buds last summer. Looks like it's going into biennial mode, unless it's just that we had a really wierd autumn last year?

**Losos** · 08-05-2016, 12:40 PM

Originally posted by Jay22 View Post

I only just found out you need two pear trees to get fruit after a couple of years of getting nothing. I now have two trees but don't expect fruit this year.

I only have one, Conference, masses of flowers and fruitlets begining to form. In a few weeks I will know if all my efforts to eradicate the dreaded Pear Midge have worked. Last year (our first at this house) there was plenty of fruitlets but almost the entire crop was lost to the Pear Midge. It's war with me an' them now

**cristalfiona** · 10-05-2016, 10:29 AM

My pear blossom is just dying off now, last year I got loads of blossom and a few fruitlets then I went away for a weekend and every single one dropped off. Hopefully this year it will do a bit better. If not I'll be looking for advice on what to do with it. I have a small amount of blossom on my cherry and some just about to open on the apple, but my plum is a bit behind. These 3 were all only planted last year so not expecting much from them this year.

**CaraFlower** · 10-05-2016, 11:58 AM

Originally posted by sparrow100 View Post

My quince tree is absolutely stunning - never seen so much blossom on it.

I guess this means my quince won't flower this year since I can't see any sign of blossom. It's probably sulking (only been in ground 17 months).

My unknown allotment plum has mostly finished flowering, lots seem to have set - it had been drastically pruned when we got the allotment so didn't produce much last year. Container espalier Queen Cox apple hasn't opened its many flower buds yet, container Scrumptious is flowering well at a friend's house. Container Crown Morello cherry has just opened lots of flowers, a little way behind the 'unknown variety found at tip' cherry. All my container grown soft fruit seem to be budding up nicely.

I've been banned from buying more until I find ground space for this lot.

**GBax** · 10-05-2016, 12:05 PM

Lost of blossom on mine and neighbours established apples and Morello trees but very few honey bees about which is a worry. My new trees are very late for he most part and only my cherry has blossomed so far.

Announcement

A good year for fruit?

A good year for fruit?

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Latest Topics

Recent Blog Posts