Looks like a terrible 2018 apple crop

Discussion in 'Trees' started by Scrungee, Apr 27, 2018.

  1. Scrungee

    Scrungee Well known for it

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    Noticed there's hardly any blosson on my in-laws apple tree, so had a good look at ours this afternoon and they also have hardly any flower buds/blossom. Some trees only have about a dozen flowers, and the most is on one tree that only has 10% of it's normal blossom. Looks like we'll be lucky to get enough to eat, none for pressing juice.
     
    Last edited: Apr 27, 2018
  2. wiseowl

    wiseowl Amicable and friendly Admin Staff Member

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    My James Grieve never lets me down:smile:

    P1300276.JPG
     
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    • Loki

      Loki Total Gardener

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      Mines really late this year, it was in full bloom this time last year but not single flower yet. The plums and damsons are just about finished.
       
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      • Verdun

        Verdun Passionate gardener

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        Figs looking good here :)
        Very late season so dont despair quite yet folks. :)
         
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        • Sian in Belgium

          Sian in Belgium Total Gardener

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          We've got loads of flowers on all the fruit trees here this year. But then last year, they all had a year off! We had a very hard air frost mid April, after a very mild later winter and spring. Just about all the fruit-tree crops were wiped out in Belgium - apples never got below 2.70 a kilo (normally 1.29, down to 0.89 during harvest time).
          So, anyway, this year the trees are making up for it. Lovely to see!
           
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          • zilly

            zilly Gardener

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            Fruit tree blossom is always quite late compared to other trees. Have just been to look at our apple trees and no blossom at all. Had a bumper crop last year so next expecting so many this year. I expect once the weather picks up they will soon catch up.
             
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            • NigelJ

              NigelJ Total Gardener

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              The plums have finished flowering and the pears are just starting not a badly amount. The apples are just beginning to show pink, but too early to say. There is plenty of blossom an the wild damsons and sloes.
               
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              • Sian in Belgium

                Sian in Belgium Total Gardener

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                Our plum trees are well and truly finished, as are the cherries and damsons. The pears are over, and the apples are in full swing. I love this time of year - it is so full of potential!
                 
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                • pete

                  pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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                  I'm not sure that apples are fully out around here yet.
                  I have a few on the allotment which were cut back hard last autumn, so not much to show there.
                   
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                  • kazzawazza

                    kazzawazza Total Gardener

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                    I have a twin apple - James Grieve on the top and Elstar on the bottom. Both are flowering fine as are the apple and pear cordons and dwarf plum.

                    79D670B6-094C-494F-97C3-A3D9E15A8E77.jpeg
                     
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                    • NigelJ

                      NigelJ Total Gardener

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                      Apples blooming well here, appears to be similar to previous years.
                       
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                      • Mike77

                        Mike77 Gardener

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                        Blossom buds still yet to fully open out on my apple tree. Its a late season apple. Looks like there is good potential for a decent crop and it's only the second year. Late blossom is no bad thing as it reduces the chances of frost damage.
                         
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                        • Palustris

                          Palustris Total Gardener

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                          These are some of our Apple trees.
                          Blossom in May 002.jpg
                          Queen Cox
                          Blossom in May 003.jpg

                          Crown Gold
                          Blossom in May 004.jpg
                          Katy
                           
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                          • Palustris

                            Palustris Total Gardener

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                            And some more!
                            Blossom in May 005.jpg
                            Rev. Wilkes
                            Blossom in May 006.jpg
                            Discovery
                            Blossom in May 010.jpg
                            Ballerina Crab apple

                            Lots of blossom though does not mean a good crop.
                             
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                            • Scrungee

                              Scrungee Well known for it

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                              Only 2 flowers on this side of this tree, but there's 10 on the other side. In a very good year I get nearly 400lbs of Russets from that tree, enough to press 100 litres of apple juice. A poor year would be around 150lbs, but this year we'll be lucky to get 6 apples from that tree.

                              apple 2 flowers.jpg

                              So can you spot where the 2 flowers are? Well nor can I on that pic, but I'll check when I go to my plot to close up my polytunnels.


                              P.S. Every tree in blossom posted above appears to be located in (sheltered?) gardens, mine are outside the village boundary on an exposed rural plot.

                              Sometimes a very cold, high wind at the wrong time devastates blossoms, but there's been no blossoms being formed, to be lost.
                               
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                                Last edited: May 6, 2018
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