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Apples & Pear trees tips for getting fruit this year

chirpy999chirpy999 Posts: 25
in Fruit & veg
Hi Folks have two apple trees and two pear trees all about 7-8 years of age and have not had much success in getting ant fruit off them yet. They put out plenty of blossom and set fruit but after a few weeks all the little fruits drop off. Yhis is very annoying. Please tell me what I should be doing to remedy this ?

Thanks


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Posts

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    edited 12 January
    The June Drop is a normal part of the cycle of fruit production on all fruit trees  … as well as ridding the tree of improperly fertilized fruit, it prevents the trees from holding on to more fruits than it can carry to ripeness. In times of stress, such as drought, it will drop more. 

    But if it’s not holding on to any/much fruit at all there may well be something you can do to encourage it. 

    Can you tell us more about your trees …. the variety is important because most apple and pear  trees need to be cross-pollinated by another apple tree of a compatible pollination group in order to produce viable fruit. 

    It will also help to know where  they’re planted and how the site was prepared, and any regular feeding, watering and other care they receive. 

    And a photo or two of them showing the whole tree. 


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • chirpy999chirpy999 Posts: 25
    Ok will take some when its light
  • chirpy999chirpy999 Posts: 25

  • chirpy999chirpy999 Posts: 25
    Picture 1 and 2 are pears the last one is of the apples. Sorry not surte of the varieties.
  • WaterbutWaterbut Posts: 344
    Sorry to say for 8 year old trees they do not look very healthy. You also have too much ground growth around them. I would dig them up and put them in a bucket of water. Make a proper clear earth border. Replant them or buy new ones and start again. My 3 year old apple, plum and pear trees have trunk and branches about 3 times your size.
    Just my suggestion other tree experts might be able to suggest something better. By the way after 10 years I gave up on my apple tree that had the same problem as you.
  • WaterbutWaterbut Posts: 344
    I also meant to add that it looks like a new fence you have if so the posts will be set in concrete which might be causing problems.
  • chirpy999chirpy999 Posts: 25
    Fair points there, I have a Victoria plum tree which is half the age of these trees and it looks a lot healthier and is much bigger. I will give them  this year if no improvement  I will take your advice and take them up.

    Thanks
  • chirpy999chirpy999 Posts: 25
    The fence is a few years old , I have been and given the panels a coat of Cuprinol Autumn Gold in the last couple of weeks.
  • Joyce GoldenlilyJoyce Goldenlily Posts: 2,933
    I would agree the trees are very spindly for their age. Another thing to remember is some varieties need to be around 10 years old before they are mature enough to begin fruiting. Last year was bad weather wise for fruiting. A lot of trees had their blossom blown off by the gales.
    Did you plant these trees? Where did they come from? They look as if they might have been a cheap purchase, most good quality fruit trees are more robust when purchased, regardless of whether they were bare rooted or in pots.
    They are planted very close to the fence so will need to be fan trained, the soil and growth around the bases looks rather poor so the above suggestion to lift them, prepare the planting area by digging in rotted manure etc., clearing the weeds and a light pruning to form them into fans before replanting might help, or you could give them another year, clear the weeds, top dress the growing area and again, a light prune to begin the shaping might help. 
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Can’t see clearly but the last pic looks as if there may be growth coming from below the graft. That needs to be removed promptly. 

    Not knowing the varieties could be a problem for pollination, even if you follow all the advice already given. If there isn’t a compatible variety nearby you won’t get a good crop. 

    Planting a crab apple nearby may help. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





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