No apple blossoms on apple trees this year?

[Zootal]

My apple trees have very few blossoms on them this year. Last year they were loaded, this year next to nothing. I'm in the mid Wilammette Valley, Oregon. Anyone else in the Northwest observing this?

[Pat Kiewicz]

Some apple varieties have a strong tendency to develop a pattern of alternate year bearing. Your big crop last year set you up for a small crop this year. Extra fruit thinning may be advisable next year, in an attempt to break the pattern.

[ntjones83]

I that it has got a lot to do with the crop that you had last year like pat said many apple varieties will have a good year and the a bad, do you remember what happened the year before? if you can that will give you a good picture as to consistency of your trees. So if nothing else you can look forward to bumper crop again next year

[Zootal]

done during the winter. I guess if I get a bumper crop next year I'll have a much better idea if that is the case. It's a very old tree, but it has very large green/red striped apples that are quite good. Last year we got hundreds of apples from it. Literally hundreds of apples, omg it was loaded!

[brooklyn1]

Since you now admit to pruning in winter then you've answered your question.

[Zootal]

I did not prune at all last winter, so pruning does not explain the lack of blossoms this year.

[Billy]

Dealing with Shelly is kinda like the "Magic Christian", where you dive into crap in hopes of coming up with something of value. Rarely happens.

Biennial Bearing: Occasionally certain fruit trees, such as apples, bear heavily one year and sparsely the next. This is called biennial bearing. The buds of most hardy fruit trees are set during the previous summer, and an especially heavy crop one year may prevent adequate bud formation for the following year. Biennial bearing is difficult to alter or correct. However, it is possible to induce a return to normal yearly fruit production by early and heavy thinning during the year in which the trees are producing their large yield. Thirty to 40 healthy leaves are needed to produce good quality fruit; within 30 days after bloom, thin to leave only four to seven fruit per yard along the branches.

wasn't a particularly cold winter in the Wilammette Valley, was it? Frozen buds and all that sort of thing? It was mild here in northern California, so I'm presuming that it was the same there, only wetter.

Good luck,

[brooklyn1]

^^^^^^^

It sure looks like you did say you pruned last winter, see above^^^^^^^^. Perhaps you weren't being very clear.

[Charlie]

Weird. I was telling the boys about this movie the other day and to add it to their netflix list.....Of course they had never heard of it....

Getting it ready....FREE MONEY...

or even more, apropos than in 1970. Enjoy.

Now, back to the debate. Carry on.

Charlie

[Zootal]

The winter before last we got a foot of snow in April. And had a bumper crop. This last winter was very mild, little ice, little frost, no snow. No buds.

I'm good with the biennial bearing. I have a large pear tree that is absolutely loaded with blossoms. I'm going to have to thin it because there is no way a tree can support that much fruit. So I'll can pears instead of apples this summer :)

[Billy]

This happens with grapes as well. I'm not a grower but when the vines support a large crop, they don't store enough starch in their roots for the following year's bloom and leafing out.

[snotbottom]

I'm on the other side of the mountains in Oregon, and our tree has been pretty thin this year too. Totally aware of the biennial bearing, but thinning had helped balance it quite a bit in past years. This would be the first year for a thin harvest. We are typically a few weeks behind the Willamette Valley, so I'm still hopeful.

- Paul