Improving Fruit setting in Spring

We all get good and bad years for fruit trees and bushes. This year my pears and plums are good. They blossomed at a different time to my apples which are poorer.

Has anyone improved pollination of blossom, and therefore fruit setting, by planting Spring flowering plants near their trees.

My idea is that if I could attract more bees, flies, and bugs generally I would get better fruit yields.

I'm trying a range of flowers and herbs - anyone had a go at this before?

Cheers

Peter

 

One word of caution. According to my horticulture book, much of which I must admit is a bit too scientific for me to understand so bear with me, you shouldn't grow flowers at the foot of an apple tree. The reason it gives in the book is that when the flowers mature, they release some chemical or other that signals to the fruit tree that some job or other is done, so the fruit tree doesn't bear as much fruit.

Sorry if that's vague, I'll see if I can find the chapter where I read that and come back with a better description.

 

Don't know about you lot, but I think it's been a pretty amazing growing year so far, fruit and veggies both. Although I realise that depended on at least the previous 12 months.

As for attracting pollinators, well there's only so many in an area, and when they discover a good nectar/pollen source they will milk it, and then move on. I'm not sure how much you can sway their decision making.

Any apiarists care to comment?

 

Thank you for the replies.
I gather it used to be common for orchard owners to have a guest or resident hive in the orchard.

The flower comment is interesting.
I use marigolds near tomatoes as this has been researched positively.

Personally, I have observed that hover flies are very keen on some herbs; especially dill.

I guess a mixed habitat can't go wrong.

I have found it a good year too.

Peter

 

I've leafed through my horticulture book, and can't find the bit about certain flowers affecting fruit set. Maybe I'd remembered it wrong or maybe i read it somewhere else. I did find a couple of interesting bits that may be relevant to this thread though, if only for interest rather practical value:

Obviously that one's is not practical and probably not necessary where only a few trees are involved, but I found it interesting.

Can't say we had a bad spring this year.

The bumble bee conservation trust website ( http://www.bumblebeeconservation.org.uk/ ) should tell us what flowers we need to attract these little fellows.

Maybe that's the bit I remembered wrong.