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Bit worried as a newby to fruit trees as peeps have been mentioning blossom on their cherry trees. My cherry tree has lots of leaf growth but no blossom, is this okay or should I be concerned?
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AKA Angie -
How old is it???That may make a difference- oh- and what variety??
(Yup- I'd have thought it is giving it a miss this year)"Nicos, Queen of Gooooogle" and... GYO's own Miss Marple
Location....Normandy France -
Round here all the Cherries are in full flower. Well, when I say all, I mean all the spring-flowering ones!
All the best - Glutton 4 Punishment
Freelance shrub butcher and weed removal operative.Comment
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I got it this year along with some apple trees. I am guessing it must be a year or two old??? It is Cherry Sunburst and is on a colt rootstock which I think must be semi dwarfing or dwarfing cos I think the fruits are supposed to grow up the main stem. The apple trees I planted at the same time are in full blossom.AKA AngieComment
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Sounds like it wants to rest for this year
I had wondered if it was in a pot and that you'd fed it something which would encourage leaf growyh at he expense of flowers- but I imagine you've treated them all the same?
Ah well- maybe next year eh??
"Nicos, Queen of Gooooogle" and... GYO's own Miss Marple
Location....Normandy FranceComment
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If its any help my ornamental cherry, which is a similar age, only had 2-3 blossoms but lots of leaf growth. My damsons didnt have much blossom either, and they are around a year old, so it could be cos they are young? (Sensible really, they need to put energy into root growth etc)Comment
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Yeah looks like it. It's in a large container filled with compost and manure. Perhaps I overdid the manureOriginally posted by Nicos View PostSounds like it wants to rest for this year
I had wondered if it was in a pot and that you'd fed it something which would encourage leaf growyh at he expense of flowers- but I imagine you've treated them all the same?
Ah well- maybe next year eh??
Oh well as long as I haven't killed it!!
AKA AngieComment
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Good point northepaul, the pear tree i have is the same. Here's hoping next spring will be blossomy!Originally posted by northepaul View Post
AKA AngieComment
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Just 'Googled' and found this;
Cherry Tree 'Sunburst'
Prunus avium 'Sunburst'
A late season eating cherry producing large sweet fruit which is almost black when ripe.
Originated from Canada.
Self fertile.
Grown on Colt root stock for an ultimate (un-pruned) height of 8-12 feet but can easily be kept at a height of 6-8 feet.
Supplied as a bare root tree pruned to approximately 4-5 feet tall (including roots).
So looks like it may flower later? All the best - Glutton 4 Punishment
Freelance shrub butcher and weed removal operative.Comment
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Aaah thanks Glutton, that may explain it! Have just done a search myself and it says flowering time April to May so maybe I can still expect some flowers??
AKA AngieComment
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Flowers should appear before the leaves - no point in hiding flowers in among masses of foliage or the bees might not find them.
Chances are that the tree is too young to want to fruit.
Some varieties can be very reluctant to fruit (especially when young) and some varieties will fruit only every second year - several of my apples trees are having a year off, while several others that didn't flower last year are heavy with blossom this year.
I wouldn't worry. The more effort the tree puts into blossom in the early years, the less it will grow and the longer it will take to give you the really worthwhile crops.
As I've said before; young trees often produce fruit of poor flavour because the fruit has to compete for water and nutrients with the growing parts of the tree. Bitter pit in apples is an example of fruits suffering severely as a result of the leaves out-competing the fruits for the nutrients.
Besides; a small tree with few fruits will lose most of them to pests. Only when the tree gets larger will there be enough fruits left for you, once the pests have taken their share.
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my sunburst cherry tree as from today is starting to flower trees are later here at flowering due to my location 2-3 weeks later than england and walesb but you should get flowers before leaf grow or at the same time it looks like no flowers no fruit im afraidComment
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Thanks FB, hopefully that means I should get a good crop in the futureOriginally posted by FB. View PostFlowers should appear before the leaves - no point in hiding flowers in among masses of foliage or the bees might not find them.
Chances are that the tree is too young to want to fruit.
Some varieties can be very reluctant to fruit (especially when young) and some varieties will fruit only every second year - several of my apples trees are having a year off, while several others that didn't flower last year are heavy with blossom this year.
I wouldn't worry. The more effort the tree puts into blossom in the early years, the less it will grow and the longer it will take to give you the really worthwhile crops.
As I've said before; young trees often produce fruit of poor flavour because the fruit has to compete for water and nutrients with the growing parts of the tree. Bitter pit in apples is an example of fruits suffering severely as a result of the leaves out-competing the fruits for the nutrients.
Besides; a small tree with few fruits will lose most of them to pests. Only when the tree gets larger will there be enough fruits left for you, once the pests have taken their share.
AKA AngieComment
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