apple trees not flowering this year. Anyone else?

Namsnanny ,
I've sent you a private message .
I'm thrilled that you like bearded iris .
Best wishes ,
Esmay .

Thise who have painted their fruit tree trunks, and/or put bands on them, which did they prefer, and is there anything else they have found to deter these insects?

Esmay

Namsnanny -
I have a huge collection of bearded iris and other iris .
You can't feed them with some products .
I gave some to a friend and she used horse manure and chicken pellets and they died .
Feeds high in nitrogen usually produce lots of leaves and no flowers .
I use Vitax Q4 all over the garden - it's very good quality and slow release .
I read on an iris specialist website that they use a feed , which is the same as potato fertiliser - only it's marketed under their name and I'm not in the States .
I've just use an entire tub of Vitax and might get some potato fertiliser to see if the result is better .
You can also water in Tomatorite .

Thank you for this advice Esmay I have several groups of bearded iris which I absolutely adore. But I have never fed them, as I was under the illusion that they preferred harsh conditions.
I think I will get some Vq4 fertiliser now.
Do let us know how you get on with your potato fertiliser wont you?

I would love to see a photo of your Iris collection, if ever you feel like posting one?

Pear tree in Scotland. Plant a pear for your heir as the saying goes

I have used grease bands several times on my last allotment, you need to protect any route upwards, including wooden stakes. They are very sticky and messy and I stopped using them

Unfortunately, the two are not going to flower in may. No sign of any buds but the spurs are looking very healthy. The 3 culinary/eating apples are all in the same pollination group and bought specifically for the purpose of cross pollination. The tall crabapple is, hopefully ,still doing its job as it is also a cross pollinator.

I never previously used vitax q4, it is a very easy to use fertilizer and I got it down before the rain. Q4 contains less nitrogen and more phosphate and potassium, also magnesium and trace elements. Growmore only has 3 components and is too high in nitrogen for the fruit. My comfrey compost/mulch is excellent but the trees are just too young to bear fruit year on year. They need to build themselves up

I have accepted it and grateful that my gooseberries have set

Namsnanny -
I have a huge collection of bearded iris and other iris .
You can't feed them with some products .
I gave some to a friend and she used horse manure and chicken pellets and they died .
Feeds high in nitrogen usually produce lots of leaves and no flowers .
I use Vitax Q4 all over the garden - it's very good quality and slow release .
I read on an iris specialist website that they use a feed , which is the same as potato fertiliser - only it's marketed under their name and I'm not in the States .
I've just use an entire tub of Vitax and might get some potato fertiliser to see if the result is better .
You can also water in Tomatorite .

Too early for the Bramley here in the Scottish Borders/Midlothian. We're 700ft up.
However my 45 Yr old pear tree is covered in blossom. I can't remember the name though it may be French.

Namsnanny

Are apple trees like roses Callistemon, in as much as a new tree shouldn't be planted where an old one grew?

Oh!
Perhaps that's its problem.
I'll keep an eye on it this year. However, an eating apple planted in a better position isn't doing very well either.

The old tree didn't have disease, it just got very overloaded one autumn and gently slid over.

Does anyone spray with fungicide during blossom time? Or is it best to wait until blossom drop?

We have an espaliered apple and pear tree. Both have blossoms, the pear for the first time. We did get some scab on the apples last year so wanted to be proactive for fungus!

Well the plum did start out with four pieces of blossom. It now has neither blossom nor much in the way of leaves! The pigeons and sparrows are systematically stripping it. Heartbreaking. It’s too big to net, and I don’t like nets anyway, but I think it’s going to have to go rather than be an eyesore every year. I’ve tried hanging CDs in the branches - they ignore them.

Esmay what Iris are you feeding, and why potato fertiliser?

I agree : trees tend to fruit in cycles .
You haven't said where you are .
I'm wondering if you had a draught last summer .
Did you mulch ?
Vitax Q4 is a highly recommended fertiliser , though I'm changing to potato fertiliser for my Iris .
There is a new fruit feed by Pomona .
Sometimes you need to tweak the NPK .
Perhaps , you'll get a late crop .

I’ve looked it up and ordered both, thanks

Thank you J52.

Sorry for being stupid but what is a grease band?

I have a Bramley which is flowering reasonably well on one side, and full of watershoots on the other, annoyingly.

I’m going to send several granddaughters up it with secateurs!

Are apple trees like roses Callistemon, in as much as a new tree shouldn't be planted where an old one grew?

DH says May, karmalady 🙂

Ours aren't in flower yet, karmalady

The plum tree had plenty of flowers but that is always earlier.

Mind you, our apples trees have struggled since planting about 4 years ago. They replaced a very productive Bramley

AreWeThereYet

Septimia

I've found that apple trees seem to go in cycles. Every few years they'll have a bumper crop year and sometimes they'll produce very little compared to a normal year. Maybe your trees are having a "rest year".

I wonder if all trees have mast years like oaks? About every 6 or 7 years our oaks have no acorns at all, then masses the following years.

Our apple tree and crab apple tree have both had loads of blossoms. MrA cut the branches on the crab apple right back to the trunk last year (he only just escaped beheading when I saw what he had done) so I was really surprised to see loads of blossoms on the remaining few twigs branches.

🤣🤣🤣 Mr A cut the branches right back to the trunk - he only just escaped a beheading
I have one of those AWTYet

Septimia

I've found that apple trees seem to go in cycles. Every few years they'll have a bumper crop year and sometimes they'll produce very little compared to a normal year. Maybe your trees are having a "rest year".

I wonder if all trees have mast years like oaks? About every 6 or 7 years our oaks have no acorns at all, then masses the following years.

Our apple tree and crab apple tree have both had loads of blossoms. MrA cut the branches on the crab apple right back to the trunk last year (he only just escaped beheading when I saw what he had done) so I was really surprised to see loads of blossoms on the remaining few twigs branches.

Septimia

I've found that apple trees seem to go in cycles. Every few years they'll have a bumper crop year and sometimes they'll produce very little compared to a normal year. Maybe your trees are having a "rest year".

Mine do the same - both 20 year-old plus on opposite sides of the garden have a 'rest season' and then produce a bumper crop the following year.

tickingbird

My son bought me one last year and it’s in a pot and it’s flowering at present. I’ve no idea how to look after it so any advice would be very welcome.

It is the time to put a grease band round the trunk. It will stop the wingless female fruit moths laying grubs in the developing fruit.
Water the trees well, even if it’s been raining. ( I can hardly believe I’m typing that last sentence! 💦)

Apples are in blossom, probably not as prolific as usual, hardly surprising it’s so cold the last couple of weeks, plums have set a lot of fruit they will be loaded.y

My son bought me one last year and it’s in a pot and it’s flowering at present. I’ve no idea how to look after it so any advice would be very welcome.

My mother-in-law's apples are heavy with blossom in the Midlands.