The apple tree does not bloom and does not bear fruit: why is this happening and what to do

The apple tree is a garden culture loved since childhood, which always gives a lot of reasons for both optimism and concern. The more we worry when the long-awaited flowering of a young tree is all postponed and postponed. Meanwhile, there may be several understandable reasons for the lack of flowering and fruiting. It is noteworthy that most often this is a clear signal that something is wrong with the tree. What is the specific problem and what are the ways to solve it, we will figure it out further.

Specificity of the selected variety

Problems with fruiting apple trees may be due to the fact that when buying, you chose the wrong one or specific type of tree.

Non-regionalized variety

For example, you might accidentally order online or buy on the market a variety that is not intended for cultivation in your climate zone. In other words, such an apple tree may not be adapted to fruiting in excessively hot or cold (or dry or humid) conditions in your area. The apple tree will not bloom and bear fruit for one simple reason - it spends all its energy on adapting and taking root in new conditions.

For example, if you live in the northern region, and the soil in your summer cottage is heavy, then for a seedling stock and a late-ripening variety, 10-11 years is a normal waiting period.

Periodic fruiting

There are varieties of apple trees that bloom and bear fruit not every year, but after a year. So there is no point in worrying, the reason is quite clear - cyclicality... Let's say it can be Moscow Grushovka,Cinnamon stripedAntonovka, Medunitsa, Malinovka,July Chernenkoother.

Although the frequency of fruiting can sometimes have a slightly different (even completely different) meaning, which you can learn about from the following video:

Too young tree

It so happens that at the 5th and even at the 6th year after planting, the apple tree does not begin to bloom. First of all, you need to find out on which rootstock the tree is grafted. If on strong rootstock, then you should not expect early fruiting, and 6-8 years is a normal period. You just have to be patient and keep waiting. Apple trees of the following, as a rule, winter varieties ripen quite late: Northern Sinap, Anis Polosatyi and Alyi, Solnyshko, Suislepskoe.

In addition, it often happens that in apple trees of such varieties, the first flowering does not end with fruiting, since this is a kind of trial flowering.

Video: why the apple tree does not bear fruit

Errors when planting an apple tree seedling

One of the main reasons why the apple tree does not bloom and / or does not bear fruit may be wrong planting of a seedling... It is on her that the future development of a young tree largely depends.

Deeper root collar

Most often, the main reason for the lack of flowering or fruiting of an apple tree can be excessively buried root collar of the tree.

Be sure to check if the root collar of the seedling was not too deep during planting, whether it is level with the ground. To determine this, carefully excavate the ground near the trunk to find the topmost root. You should find it at a depth of about 2-3 centimeters. If it is noticeably closer or deeper, then you should either sprinkle it with earth, or, conversely, slightly dig it up. Moreover, it is advisable to free the trunk from all sides by about 50-60 centimeters, making holes, and erecting walls of stones or bricks around the edges so that the earth does not again fall asleep on the previously overburdened trunk of the seedling.

Failure to comply with other landing conditions

For example, you could plant a tree in wrong overly darkened and very airylocationwhere the land is heavy and barren and the groundwater is too close.

Wrong have chosen landing dates... Despite the fact that apple trees can be planted in spring and autumn, certain rules should still be followed.

And finally, we bought and planted a weak seedling (for example, old and half-dead).

Important! About when and how to plant an apple tree correctly in the spring and in the fall you can read in our materials.

Improper apple tree care

Let's say that you figured out the specifics of the variety, planted it according to all the rules, but the apple tree still does not bloom and does not bear fruit. It is possible that the reason lies in improper or insufficient care of the tree.

Pruning

Correct pruning also affects the fruiting of the apple tree.

If you over-prune, the tree will simply waste all its energy growing new branches instead of blooming.

If the tree is completely started, then, perhaps, for the first few years it will bloom profusely and give a large harvest (albeit small enough apples), but then it will gradually lack food, because there will be too many branches, they will begin to dry out and bloom definitely won't.

That is why the apple tree, like any other fruit tree, needs regular pruning, including sanitary, anti-aging and shaping pruning.

Vertical growth of branches

Another reason for the lack of fruiting is the vertical growth of apple tree branches. The fact is that flowers and fruits can form only on horizontal growth. In this case, you need to give the vertical branches a horizontal position with the help of a load or a guy line, in other words, reduce the angle of inclination of the branches. However, you should wait for fruiting only 2-3 years after bending.

Video: bending branches for the formation and better fruiting of fruit trees

It is much more effective to start forming the crown of the tree from the moment the seedling is planted.

By the way! Details of pruning apple trees in spring and her preparing for winter.

"Overfeeding" or lack of fertilizers

If you apply an excessive amount of nitrogen fertilizers under the apple tree, then a situation may arise that even if the buds are formed, the flowering will be weak or completely absent.

It is also important to apply fertilizer at the correct time. If you feed a tree with nitrogen in late summer or autumn, then next year it will begin to "fatten". Nitrogen supplementation (eg fresh manure, bird droppings, ammonium sulfate, ammonium nitrate) should only be done in the spring.

Ain the second half of summer it is good to feed the apple tree with potash, phosphoric and boric fertilizers, as well as humates (potassium humate).

Note! On our website you can read about how to feed an apple tree in spring and summer.

Lack of iron

An old folk way to make an apple tree bear fruit is to hammer a couple of rusty nails into its trunk. However, not every gardener decides to take such a drastic step. Therefore, you can do much easier - bury nails in the tree trunk circle in several places. Some even bury old cans.

You probably already understood what the point of this procedure is. The tree is simply there is not enough iron.You can determine how much the apple tree suffers from its deficiency by looking at the yellow leaves of the tree.

To replenish the required supply of iron, you can spray the apple tree with a weak solution of ferrous sulfate a couple of times per season.

Video: hammering nails into an apple tree

Lack or excess of moisture

Another reason why an apple tree may not bloom due to improper care may be non-compliance with watering rules.

So, during watering, under young apple trees (1-2 years old), at least 20-30 liters of water should be poured, under 3-5 years old - at least 50-80 liters, and under adults - up to 100 liters of water. It is very important that the water has time to penetrate into the entire root system of the plant, hence the increasing volumes as the tree grows.

Lack of fruiting due to disease andpests

If you carefully examine the tree, you may find that it is sick with something, it has been attacked by insect pests or has suffered due to sudden changes in the weather. That is why, in fact, flowering and / or fruiting may not occur.

Returnable spring frosts

Alternatively, the kidneys could be damaged due to recurrent frosts.

You can save a tree from the negative effects of low temperatures by sprinkling it and using smoke.

The essence smoke is to raise the air temperature with the help of smoke from a smoldering fire. However, the method is effective only under the condition of slight frosts (up to -4 degrees).

Meaning sprinkling in the fact that shortly before frost (preferably at night) you irrigate trees with water. When the temperature drops, moisture begins to evaporate and the air heats up.

If you did not manage to do anything, but it was frosty, and the apple trees did not bloom, then try to spend bark furrowin other words, make vertical cuts in the bark to the wood with a length of 5-7 centimeters with a garden knife.

Video: how to make an apple tree bear fruit by bending (braking) vertical branches and furrowing the bark

Pest insects

The reason for the lack of flowering or fruiting in apple trees can be pests: apple flower beetle or weevil larva, which can gladly destroy more than 80-90% of all buds and ovaries of a tree.

The method of dealing with them is quite simple - it is spraying with insecticides. You can also use mechanical traps to control garden pests - trapping belts.

Fungal diseases

Flowers and ovaries can undergo one of the dangerous diseases, for example, catch powdery mildew, get sick with downy mildew, or even black cancer.

A very dangerous fungal disease is moniliosis (fruit rot). One of its signs is the appearance of dry branches on a young seedling in summer. And already next spring, despite good abundant flowering, as well as a possible ovary, fruiting may not be at all.

Important! To avoid such problems, spend every spring processing and spraying apple trees from pests and diseases.

Thus, having determined the reason why the apple tree does not bloom and / or does not bear fruit in your summer cottage, you can choose the appropriate ways and methods to solve the problem in order to get a notable harvest in the near future and pamper yourself, your relatives and friends with delicious and aromatic apples ...