Why the apple tree may not bear fruit after flowering and what to do if there are no ovaries
When growing apple trees, there are cases when the tree blooms regularly, but does not yield a harvest. Also, fruiting may be insufficient or unstable under negative external influences or adverse weather conditions. Asking the question of why a planted apple tree does not bear fruit, it is necessary to find out the cause of the problem in order to restore productivity.
Content
- 1 Reasons for the lack of fruit
- 1.1 Complete absence of apples
- 1.2 Landing made with gross errors
- 1.3 The young age of the apple tree
- 1.4 High concentration of trace elements
- 1.5 Flower kidney disease
- 1.6 Problems with pollinating varieties
- 1.7 Irregular fruiting
- 1.8 High yield
- 1.9 Features of the variety
- 1.10 Problems with pruning and crown shape
- 2 Measures to solve the problem of fruiting
Reasons for the lack of fruit
In practice, gardeners encounter many different reasons why the apple tree does not bloom. The presence of negative factors leads to the termination of fruiting or partial loss of yield.
Complete absence of apples
In the most advanced situations, there is a complete lack of harvest. Inexperienced gardeners are often faced with the question - why the apple tree blooms, but there are no fruits. The reasons are in violation of the rules for disembarkation, illness, negative environmental conditions.
Landing made with gross errors
When planting apple trees, a number of nuances must be observed, since making mistakes affects the amount of harvest. Before disembarking, a permanently illuminated place is selected on the site, protected from blowing through. Groundwater for apple trees should be located more than 2 m from the ground surface. When planting plants, you must first prepare the pit and add top dressing to it.
The young age of the apple tree
Some tree varieties bear fruit several years after the first flowering. To begin with, apple trees need to form a powerful root system, adapt to the surrounding conditions, after which fruits are formed on the branches.
High concentration of trace elements
An excessive amount of fertilizer in the soil leads to the fact that the apple tree begins to bloom profusely, while not bearing fruit. Most often, this situation occurs when nitrogen fertilizers are applied to the soil with a significant excess of the dosage. To solve the problem with an increased concentration of trace elements, it is necessary to reduce the amount of dressings.
Flower kidney disease
Under the influence of spring return colds or in case of damage by a flower beetle, the development of diseases of flower buds is possible.To protect trees, it is necessary to treat with deterrents and cover the plantings at low ambient temperatures.
Problems with pollinating varieties
Some varieties of apple trees require flower pollination to grow. If pollinating varieties are not planted on the site, the apple trees do not develop sufficiently and do not form fruits. For trees to be well pollinated, it is necessary to grow several varieties that bloom at the same time. In a limited area, it is allowed to perform cuttings to the crown of a growing tree so that the grown branch plays the role of a pollinator.
Irregular fruiting
There are situations when the harvest does not ripen on apple trees every season. The reasons for inconsistent fruiting lie in improper care, individual characteristics of the variety and other external factors.
High yield
If in one season the apple tree bore a large number of fruits, then over the next several seasons there is a possibility of a decrease in yield. This situation can occur with excessive fertilization of seedlings, due to which the fruits begin to ripen intensively ahead of schedule. To prevent irregular fruiting, you should control the amount of fertilizer.
Features of the variety
When choosing a suitable variety for growing, you must take into account its characteristics. Some varieties yield irregularly due to individual characteristics. Such varieties of apple trees are suitable for gardeners who do not have the opportunity to harvest fruits during each season.
Problems with pruning and crown shape
Removal of a large number of shoots during crown formation leads to an imbalance between the roots and the surface part. As a result, the apple tree needs to restore balance and actively build up its vegetative mass without bearing fruit.
To avoid yield reduction due to incorrect pruning, the following points must be considered:
- Only dried and twisted shoots are cut, which interfere with the normal development of the tree.
- When pruning an apple tree, it is important to carefully examine to find tops growing vertically upward. They absorb excessive amounts of nutrients and slow down fruiting.
- For pruning and shaping, a sharp pruner is used to cut the shoots evenly.
Measures to solve the problem of fruiting
The timely implementation of a set of measures helps to restore the productivity of apple trees. When a question arises - how to make an apple tree bear fruit, you should establish the cause of the problem and, taking into account the state of the tree, take appropriate measures. With the creation of a favorable environment and constant care, the plants will begin to produce crops each year.
Eliminate the cause and wait for the result
Having discovered a problem with the fruiting of an apple tree, it is necessary to completely eliminate the cause of the reduction in yield. The method of recovery depends on the specific cause and may consist in changing the rules of care, combating harmful insects and diseases. After the elimination of negative factors, it remains to maintain the plants in a healthy state and wait for the result.
Transplant apple tree
If the reason for the low yield lies in the wrong location on the site, you should dig up the tree and transfer it to a more suitable area. When performing a transplant, you must follow a number of rules:
- The optimal age for transplant is the first year of life. In subsequent years, it is better to transfer plants with a closed root system.
- When digging up a seedling, you must carefully remove the tree from the ground so as not to damage the fragile roots.
- For transplanting fruit plantations, early spring is more suitable.During the hot season, the apple tree will have time to adapt to a new place before the first frost.
Improve pollination conditions
To increase yields, it is necessary to attract insects to the garden, which can pollinate the inflorescences. Plants with pronounced aromas can be planted next to apple trees, including cucumber, dill, cumin. Certain varieties of fruit trees are also suitable as pollinators. It is enough for a gardener to pick up seedlings that can mutually pollinate each other and place them side by side on the site. The optimal amount for cross-pollination is considered to be 3-4 different varieties.
Fertilizers and feeding
During intensive development and fruiting, a large amount of nutrients are absorbed from the soil. Apple trees need fertilization throughout all stages of growth. The foundation for the planned harvest is laid in the spring, when the plants grow foliage and young shoots. Mineral and organic fertilizing is applied under the trees. If it is necessary to accelerate the formation of the crown, fertilizers with a predominance of nitrogen should be used.
Pest and disease control
Any fruit plants are susceptible to infection and insect damage. For the apple tree, diseases such as powdery mildew, scab, fruit rot, milky shine and cytosporosis are dangerous.
Among the parasites for the apple tree are characteristic: green aphid, hawthorn, moth, flower beetle and honeydew.
The consequences of plant damage are darkening of foliage, the appearance of defects, decay, deterioration of the quality of fruits, and a decrease in yield. To fight pests and diseases, spraying with preparations from the insecticidal and fungicidal categories should be carried out.
Pruning
Pruning the crown allows air and sunlight to reach the fruit. Primary pruning is carried out a few days after planting the seedling in a permanent place in order to redistribute nutrients between the upper part and the roots. The next season, the apple tree is re-pruned, leaving the strongest branches. The central shoot is shortened in such a way that it rises 20-25 cm above the rest of the branches.
Lunar landing
Planting fruit trees according to the lunar calendar is very popular among gardeners. Depending on the phase of the month in which you plan to grow the seedling, you can calculate the days when the surrounding conditions will be most favorable for the subsequent development of the plant. In particular, information from the lunar calendar helps to calculate the period in which the amount of underground moisture is sufficient to saturate the roots.
Traditional methods
When growing apple trees, it is recommended to use folk methods as additional measures to increase yields. Their list includes the following:
- Spraying seedlings with organic decoctions, which prevent the development of infections and stimulate growth.
- To strengthen the roots, hilling is required next to each tree.
- It is recommended to place young seedlings in the direction from east to west so that the sun evenly warms up all the plants.
- The soil in the area where the roots are placed must be mulched to protect it from cold temperatures and weed germination.
other methods
Less common methods include: artificial delivery of nutrients to the roots, chemical thinning, rationing of the number of fruits. The implementation of a set of measures helps to restore plant health and increase the amount of harvest.
