Last year the orchard I prune had hardly any macs, but some of the later apples were fine. The owner blamed it on excessive rain during the mac bloom which kept the bees from working. Downstate where bloom is earlier they had a great crop... could that have been the case with you?
Fruit Trees - No Fruit this Year?
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oosik
Epic Contributor
When we moved here 32 years ago I planted 15 fruit trees - apples, pears, cherries, peaches & apricot. It became obvious, right away, that soft fruit were not going to do well here. I was told it was due to the cold temps in the late spring when the trees were in bloom. Anyhow, after five years I had only apples. I noticed with the apples - every other year would have good crops and the off year was very poor or nonexistent. Its not uncommon to get snow & freezing rain when the trees are in bloom and I know this seriously affects the crop.
As the trees got older this condition became more pronounced. Last year was supposed to be a good year and it was not.
I pulled all the remaining trees and have now replaced with young trees. I'll see how this goes in a few years.
I've also been told the manner in which the trees produce has a lot to do with the way you prune every year. Soo - I took a class in tree pruning and I'll see if that help too.
I've noticed a dramatic decline in wild bees over the years and am sure this does not help the situation either.
This good year/bad year also affects the old apple trees on an old abandoned homestead about a mile away.
As the trees got older this condition became more pronounced. Last year was supposed to be a good year and it was not.
I pulled all the remaining trees and have now replaced with young trees. I'll see how this goes in a few years.
I've also been told the manner in which the trees produce has a lot to do with the way you prune every year. Soo - I took a class in tree pruning and I'll see if that help too.
I've noticed a dramatic decline in wild bees over the years and am sure this does not help the situation either.
This good year/bad year also affects the old apple trees on an old abandoned homestead about a mile away.
SPIKER
Elite Member
my Pear trees last year were so loaded I lost a half dozen branches & one tree fell over (uprooted) from the weight. The Apple and Peach had OK years but this year not a peach one. maybe a dozen apple and the Pear look to be 1/8th as many pears. The Plumb are not loaded like in the past either.
I think we had frost 2 years ago that wiped them all out, there was late frost this year but only the low height trees got it... The Pear TOPS have most of the fruits on them and the Plumb are close together so those are OK vs others.
Mark
I think we had frost 2 years ago that wiped them all out, there was late frost this year but only the low height trees got it... The Pear TOPS have most of the fruits on them and the Plumb are close together so those are OK vs others.
Mark
MossRoad
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I have about a dozen fruit trees of various kinds in my yard, plus grapes and berries. We lost on nectarine tree over the winter. It froze solid. 2nd one was heavly damaged with maybe 20% of leaves that is should have. Peach tree was the same way. Only about 6 blossoms on it this spring. NO blossoms on apricot trees. Maybe 20% of normal blossoms on pears and apples.
However, grapes and raspberries are going like gangbusters. Strawberries are marginal. It was a rough winter, indeed.
However, grapes and raspberries are going like gangbusters. Strawberries are marginal. It was a rough winter, indeed.
I was told once to paint apricot and peach trees with white latex paint to reflect early spring sunshine so that they don't start to bud out as early... therefore aren't as susceptible to late freezes.
MossRoad
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It was 22 below Zero here this winter. We had 20 days below zero this winter, when 5 days is the normal average. It was our 6th coldest winter on record. And we had 106" of snow. The trees just plain froze. There were no buds to be susceptible to late freezes or frosts. They froze off back in Jan, Feb and March. BRRRRR!!!!!! :laughing:
whistlepig
Elite Member
Our apple trees got bit by a late frost this spring and no apples. Even the hedge apple trees are fruitless this year. It was a rough winter here. I am not seeing near as many rabbits and deer this year as in seasons passed.
MossRoad
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- Power Trac PT425 2001 Model Year
My neighbor has a game camera that we move around between our two properties. From about the middle of January until about the first week of March, we saw ZERO animal tracks in the snow. ZERO. We usually have fox, deer, squirrels, cats, birds, etc... but for those six weeks NOTHING was moving. Very strange.
whistlepig
Elite Member
It was a very hard winter for us. Worst I can remember since the blizzard of '1978.
