Fruit off bare rooted plants.

[noviceveggrower]

Hi,
I have planted several fruit trees down my plot all bare rooted. They all seem to be coming into blossom, all very nice looking.
I was wondering any fruit that sets as its their first year shall I just pick them off and not let them get 'big' or just leave them on?
Was wondering as its their first year, well planted in my plot, wether they'd be better putting their strength in growing than producing fruit?
Any advice?

[Kirk]

Never easy to say, personally I would tend to leave 1 on if apples, in the hope of getting one to eat. If I left 2 I would half expect one of the 2 to fall off, if not both of them.

Also you do not say what the fruit is, leaving 3, 4 or 5 plums to ripen is not a big drain on a tree, whereas a couple of large apples may be.

Don't let them be trying to produce loads of fruit, keep it to a minimum if you leave any on.

I usually leave something out of sheer curiosity. It will depend on the tree size, again common sense required.

They may have flowered maddly owing to the stress of being dug up, stripped naked then stuck in a new hole somewhere foreign.

[Mumbles]

I got my fruit trees last year and all had loads of flowers which later all fell off by themselves in what I've now found out is known as the 'June Drop'


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[boundtothesoil]

I usually leave something out of sheer curiosity. It will depend on the tree size, again common sense required.

.

I agree with Kirk, not least because you get to see if the variety you think you've bought is the variety you've planted!

Sometimes it isn't, due to label mix up etc and it can be annoying if you don't find this out for three or four years as a result of religiously removing all the developing fruit to encourage growth of an unwanted variety.

[Kristen]

Me too, I would leave one on to check that it is the right variety.

Hi,
Was wondering as its their first year, well planted in my plot, wether they'd be better putting their strength in growing than producing fruit?

I definitely subscribe to this school of thought. Strawberries, Raspberries, Apples et al I never take a crop in the first year, but work to get the plant really well established so that it earns its keep for ever after

[AllInContainers]

Depends on the plant and your plot. Personally I grow in containers in a small garden, so if the growth is stunted slightly by early cropping that can do me a favour. I have to consciously restrict/manage the size of larger shrubs/trees etc anyway, and am more than happy for nature to lend a hand Likewise I don't need a massive crop from what I'm growing. I'm after fun, relaxation and a few yummy treats rather than relying on my "plot" to put food on the table