2yr old apple trees with loads of potential apples

Jenny_Aster · May 2023

Practically all their blossom, and there were lots of it, looks to have been pollinated.

So now I'm wondering how best to treat the tree, do I snip off the small swollen ovaries (I think that's what they're called), leaving say just 5 on the tree? Would this be the right thing to do, or will the tree automatically drop some by itself?

Last year we just left one apple on one tree, just for a taste.

I'm also thinking I should now be feeding the trees with tomato fertiliser?

fidgetbones · May 2023

Depends on how big the tree is. I would leave just one or two per clump , removing any misshapen ones . Assuming it is in the ground not a pot, a sprinkle of general fertiliser around it will do. Keep the area around it it clear of weeds and grass.

Jenny_Aster · May 2023

Thank you @fidgetbones - the tree was planted in the ground from a large container (which it didn't fill) last December, so it is its first year in the ground (before that it was a first year bare root tree planted in the container around January '22). It's about 5ft+ tall on dwarf stock, and has been mulched with a thick layer of bark. At the time of planting in the ground it was given a good few handfuls of FBB. I'm quite pleased with how it looks, though I don't want to stress it by pushing my luck - it's a 'Red Delicious' by the way. Really appreciate your advice

Plashing · May 2023

I would keep it well watered especially with the warmer and dry weather we are supposed to going to have over the next two weeks or so, you will want to give it at least two buckets full a week,or you could mulch it after watering.

Joyce Goldenlily · May 2023

You can leave all of the nucleus apples for the time being. Come June it will go through the June Drop when the tree will naturally thin the fruit. If there are a lot of baby apples left on the tree in August it would help the tree for you to thin the fruit again. As it is such a young tree leave 2-3 fruit per branch.

Jenny_Aster · May 2023

Thanks @Joyce Goldenlily, I scratched my head trying to figure what to call them, now I know they're called 'nucleus apples'! I'd never heard of the 'June Drop', will be watching out for it.

Jenny_Aster · May 2023

Plashing said:

I would keep it well watered especially with the warmer and dry weather we are supposed to going to have over the next two weeks or so, you will want to give it at least two buckets full a week,or you could mulch it after watering.

Thanks @Plashing, after all the rain I too think we'll be having a spot of draught. I'll be giving them plenty to drink, I've learnt that lesson from my poor young pear tree, it's still hanging on though.

2yr old apple trees with loads of potential apples

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