Apple-less apple tree...

[Peteyd]

My Dwarf apple tree didn't flower this year and as such has absolutely no fruit on it, none, zilch, nada...

It appears to be healthy (in fact it looks healthier than ever)

Should i be concerned?

[burnie]

If it's the first year, I wouldn't worry, what type/name is it , do you have any others to pollinate the flowers when they appear. Late frosts this year knocked a lot of buds off the trees in certain areas this year.

[Peteyd]

If it's the first year, I wouldn't worry, what type/name is it , do you have any others to pollinate the flowers when they appear. Late frosts this year knocked a lot of buds off the trees in certain areas this year.

Not sure what type it is, it was gifted to me a couple of years ago. usually it produces a dozen or so good sized apples (which the wasps always get to before i do)

I'm gutted as I was really looking forward to finally getting one for myself this year... never mind

[burnie]

I have had trees(indeed I still have one) that don't fruit heavily every year, as this ones in a pot give it some feeding and it will be in good shape for next year.

[Peteyd]

Great, Thanks Burnie for the advice. What should i feed it with? is there a specific feed or is a general purpose one adequate?

Thanks for the help, I'm a bit of a noobie at this fruit growing lark

[BUFFS]

Great, Thanks Burnie for the advice. What should i feed it with? is there a specific feed or is a general purpose one adequate?

Thanks for the help, I'm a bit of a noobie at this fruit growing lark

I give each of my potted apple trees a handful of BFB at the end of February each year, that's in tubs holding in excess of 50ltrs of john Innes No3 compost, essential, as ordinary compost will run out of feed after about 4-5 weeks, make sure it never runs short of water as that's certain to make it drop its blossom/young fruit as it feels at risk of drought..it has worked for over 10yrs now so I must be doing something right..

[Kirk]

I have 4 apples left alive, and only 1 has apples this year.
Sure I should have another somewhere but a couple have died.
The 3 with no apples are a bit odd in that they are all close to each other, but I cannot recall seeing and blossom on them but they were in an overgrown area. Slightly cured that by the use of big pruners and a shredder.

[lookbettertomorow]

Hi, that's one of those columnar trees breed for it's nuntyness, rather than nice apples. Bet you've never pruned it? You shouldn't have to- that's why it's nunty ��
Could be biannual fruiting, looks healthy, maybe too healthy, too much nitrogen? Wouldn't stop it fruiting but produces too much growth

[keble]

Buffs, is the handful of BFB at end Feb the only feed you give your potted apples? Nothing during the growing season? As you say, you must be doing something right but want to make sure I understand your regime. Thanks.

[veggiechicken]

Hi, that's one of those columnar trees breed for it's nuntyness, rather than nice apples. Bet you've never pruned it? You shouldn't have to- that's why it's nunty ��
Could be biannual fruiting, looks healthy, maybe too healthy, too much nitrogen? Wouldn't stop it fruiting but produces too much growth

What does "nunty" mean?

[BUFFS]

Buffs, is the handful of BFB at end Feb the only feed you give your potted apples? Nothing during the growing season? As you say, you must be doing something right but want to make sure I understand your regime. Thanks.

BFB is three different fertilisers as I understand it, blood, fish and bone, which I was told was fast, medium and slow actions, so the year is covered, and I think, I may be wrong, that that is the correct order..

[keble]

Thnaks, BUFFS. I feed my pear in a pot with slow release fertiliser (from Ken Muir) at end Feb but then also give it tomato feed during the summer. I worry I am overfeeding, thus was curious if your handful of blood fish and bone was the only feed you give your apple. You are getting better results with your method than I am with mine!

[Peteyd]

Hi, that's one of those columnar trees breed for it's nuntyness, rather than nice apples. Bet you've never pruned it? You shouldn't have to- that's why it's nunty ��
Could be biannual fruiting, looks healthy, maybe too healthy, too much nitrogen? Wouldn't stop it fruiting but produces too much growth

Correct I have never pruned, like you say i shouldn't have to. I've managed to start two off from the seeds of an apple that fell last year. Do you think these will be a columnar one or a "normal" one?

[BUFFS]

Thnaks, BUFFS. I feed my pear in a pot with slow release fertiliser (from Ken Muir) at end Feb but then also give it tomato feed during the summer. I worry I am overfeeding, thus was curious if your handful of blood fish and bone was the only feed you give your apple. You are getting better results with your method than I am with mine!

I have never been a fan of the slow release feeds, the fish and bone do that for me, in a form that is natural and as there are no artificially created extras I know what is going onto the soil is not carrying man-made nasties. If there was a problem I think it would have shown up sometime over the last forty years or so. The tomato food is okay if you want to use it as I feed my figs once a week as I do the toms, and it does seem to boost the size of the fruit. Picked eight peaches from my £3 aldi sourced Red Haven dwarf tree today and they are so sweet, better than shop bought ones, and it shows what can be grown around here and that the rain does stop sometimes, for a day or two at a time, I will put photos on here tomorrow...

[keble]

Wait, are you saying you've had the apple in a pot for 40 years?! I've resigned myself to thinking that my espaliered pear in a container will be short lived compared to one in the ground. Looking forward to seeing your photos - you are obviously doing something right.