Fruit Tree Blossom Season is Approaching......

[FB.]

My plum, pear and apple trees are rapidly approaching flowering time. I'm expecting the first blossoms to open some time next week, depending on the weather.

Usually, my plum flowers a week or two before my pears, which flower a couple of weeks before my apples.
This year, it appears as if my plum, pears and early-season apples will all flower at about the same time.

Again, I am seeing a considerable tendency for the apple rootstock MM106 to bring forward the waking from winter dormancy and causing an earlier flowering time. All of my apples which are likely to flower especially early (with the pears) are grafted on MM106 - particularly noticeable with my James Grieve and Ellison's Orange. It's a good job that my early-season apples have a fair degree of frost resistance.
To further illustrate the apparent rootstock influence on the tree coming out of dormancy; I have four D'Arcy Spice - one on each of four rootstocks; M26, MM106, MM111 and M25.
The MM106 is most advanced, then MM111, then M25 and finally M26.

Here is something that I posted last year, which resembles what is happening again this year:

I have been growing some apple bushes and cordons for a few years now. Having observed their behaviour, it has struck me that -at least in my area- pollination groups seem to be modified by the rootstock.

From my observations...

MM106 brings forward flowering by three pollination groups.
MM111 brings forward flowering by two pollination groups.
M9 brings forward flowering by one pollination group.
M26 and M27 flower at about the correct time.

So, as an example, a group D on MM106 generally flowers at the same time as a group A on M26 - in my area.

Before anyone starts fretting that their fruit trees are dead, consider than I live in a warm part of the country that gets a good amount of sun - and also consider that blossom buds generally open before the "growth" buds. Very young trees won't have many flower buds, so they may remain dormant for a few more weeks.

I'll edit this opening post when each of my varieties flowers in the coming weeks.

FB

[starloc]

My outside trees are flowering now , the peach trees started blooming in february, the nectarines the start of march, the apricots about 2 weeks ago, the buds on the victoria plums opened last week , the merrywether damson opened about 1/4 of them today

They all seem to be flowering realy well, probably down to the number of chill hours they got, it was very cold for a long period this year

The 8 foot crab apple i bought on ebay last september, came full of fruit when i got it, it probably had too much fruit last year, it has small leaves all over , no blossom yet but there are a few buds visible today, mightent have much due to amount of fruit last year?

The apples buds have been swelling for a month or so, the pears started shortly after , im just starting to get a few leaves on some of the newer ones, most just have swelling buds

[Mi Jardín]

My little M27 apple tree has a couple of little buds opening up too! I only bought it last autumn, so its very exciting watching it this spring!

[shirlthegirl43]

My nectarine is in glorious flower in the greenhouse. I move it outdoors on nice days and when the flowers have all gone it will go back outside where it spent the winter. There have been lots of bees in the greenhouse so I am hoping it has been pollinated.

[di]

We've got blossom on a couple of our apple trees,also on the nectarine & I think a pear?(obviously I'm at home on here,so not able to check)
Quick question...do I need to protect the apples & pears if frost is forecast or just the soft fruit ones?I can remember reading that peach/apricot & nectarine need to be covered with fleece...is it the same with the others?

[Nicos]

yup- peach, plum and pear- with apple to follow soon...when's the next frost due????

[starloc]

Eventualy all the bees are here as well, not just the one or two like last week, loads all over the plants all the time, no need to polinate with a brush anymore