The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Growing => Fruit => Topic started by: plumseverywhere on June 19, 2011, 05:57:38 pm

Title: How's your fruit tree's this year?!
Post by: plumseverywhere on June 19, 2011, 05:57:38 pm
All the news reports (certainly here in the Vale of Evesham) suggest that we've had some funny weather that will affect our fruit crops.  Our plums are definately coming in earlier, how healthy they will be remains to be seen though..
got some pears that are earlier than last year too.
anyone else noticed anything different?
Title: Re: How's your fruit tree's this year?!
Post by: egglady on June 19, 2011, 06:45:50 pm
Lisa, aye something strange here too......... one of my neighbours turned up about an hour ago with a fabby 3 in 1 apple tree for me :)  so so so delighted as had fancied one for ages but couldnt afford one....AND it even has teeny wee apples on it.........a cooker and 2 eaters (one red, one green).

who would have thought an apple tree would have made me so happy lol :):):):):):):):):)
Title: Re: How's your fruit tree's this year?!
Post by: plumseverywhere on June 19, 2011, 07:00:04 pm
That sounds brilliant!! I think that apple tree would have made me happy too  ;D  the goats have wrecked ours  ::)
Title: Re: How's your fruit tree's this year?!
Post by: ellisr on June 19, 2011, 07:02:41 pm
My cider apple tree is laden to the point I am thinking of taken some off to prevent the branches snapping. Next door has cherries for sale already
Title: Re: How's your fruit tree's this year?!
Post by: little blue on June 19, 2011, 07:06:01 pm
and strange here too .... I actually have loads of  fruit on my trees (apples, pears & cherry) for the first time!!
despite the heavy rain and high winds....

:D sorry Plums, thats not what you meant is it?!

Egglady, I too get excited about stuff like that!
there's a running joke at work that when we take the kids to the garden centres, they lose me by the bargain "dead stuff, looking for things to bring back to life!"
Title: Re: How's your fruit tree's this year?!
Post by: ellied on June 22, 2011, 08:36:19 pm
Both the plums and the cookers all look pretty laden again this year, despite the gales and my having to hack back some of one plum tree when it was sweeping the floor with plums last year :o  Another one looks like needing a haircut after fruiting too..

There is one apple tree that was knocked by the falling conifer over the winter, I thought it might enjoy more light and seemed to survive with roots intact, but I don't think it likes the direct wind now so it may not survive another year unfortunately :(  Loads of others still in the actual orchard and this is a "spare" so not a disaster either way ;)
Title: Re: How's your fruit tree's this year?!
Post by: Greenerlife on June 22, 2011, 09:55:41 pm
varied.  That is my summary of this years fruit crop.  Some trees are absolutely fab and laden (especially the plums) but my apples are very hit and miss.  Some like my Bramley are absolutely heaving with fruit and others had beautiful blossom as I have ever seen on them, but no fruit.  some have been eaten right out by unknown beaties and look really crabby.I suspect that our local bee problem (no water/ no nectar/no flying/no pollination) maybe culprit?  Pears all look good - their first fruiting year - quite excited!
Title: Re: How's your fruit tree's this year?!
Post by: Sandy on June 22, 2011, 10:40:25 pm
We are OK so far, lots of apples on the tree but last year I left them for a while and then the wee uns over the back took um!!!!!!
Title: Re: How's your fruit tree's this year?!
Post by: egglady on June 22, 2011, 10:52:10 pm
bizarre of bizarre...my crab apple tree has started FLOWERING again this week!!! what's that all about?????
Title: Re: How's your fruit tree's this year?!
Post by: benkt on June 22, 2011, 11:36:49 pm
This is our first year at the farm so I have no track record to compare it to. However, we've had a treeful of cherries that have been and gone with the rest of the cherry trees looking like they'll be ready in the next week or two. We've also got a cherry plum that is getting close to ripe. Apples and pears all have fruit on them, but the little orchard has been neglected for so long I'm not sure how good a crop to expect. The only thing we might be overflowing with is greengages which have self-seeded all over the place!
Title: Re: How's your fruit tree's this year?!
Post by: suziequeue on June 23, 2011, 05:58:25 pm
When we moved here in 2009 we had loads of plums and no apples.

In 2010 we had loads of apples and no plums.

This year it looks like we will be getting both apples and plums if the early fruits are anything to go by.

Pears have been a disaster - partly because neither Paul nor I really care for them much and partly due to some sort of leaf thing - Pear Leaf Blister Mite I think....

So - hoping for a bumper harvest - particularly of apples - see my bicycle powered apple scratter thread on Home Brewing!!!
Title: Re: How's your fruit tree's this year?!
Post by: northfifeduckling on June 25, 2011, 08:18:04 am
yes, definitely.  some of my trees are infested with a fungus or virus, will have to get a specialist in soon for diagnosis. The problem with the damson like plum is the same the sloes had a few years ago - deforming fruit. I have less set apples this year, but more pears - we love pears, so I'm not complaining  ;D
Title: Re: How's your fruit tree's this year?!
Post by: manian on June 25, 2011, 08:48:02 am
and strange here too .... I actually have loads of  fruit on my trees (apples, pears & cherry) for the first time!!
despite the heavy rain and high winds....

:D sorry Plums, thats not what you meant is it?!

Egglady, I too get excited about stuff like that!
there's a running joke at work that when we take the kids to the garden centres, they lose me by the bargain "dead stuff, looking for things to bring back to life!"

i'm sooo jealous.... :'(    my 3 apple trees have 4 apples on them in total!!!!!!
they were planted last year so fingers crossed for next year!!! ;D

may have to go scrumping at yours little blue
 :yum:
Title: Re: How's your fruit tree's this year?!
Post by: little blue on June 25, 2011, 03:21:07 pm
be patient Manian ... we had the same problem (impatience!) the first year with the apples,
then last year, the pears were in their first year, and between high winds and rampaging pigs, we had about two apples from 3 trees!
And the bloomin' pigs ate all the strawberries too!!

Even this year, it wouldn't take you above 5 minutes to scrump the lot!   But I'd fight you for 'em!  :D

Title: Re: How's your fruit tree's this year?!
Post by: gem on June 30, 2011, 02:31:01 pm
for the first time ive got apples on my tree, i planted it 2yrs ago and its finally starting to thrive, my plum tree was only planted last year, no plums this year anyhow   :farmer:
Title: Re: How's your fruit tree's this year?!
Post by: doganjo on June 30, 2011, 03:02:06 pm
I have a couple of questions for all you fruit tree experts  ;D My daughter has recently moved into a beautiful Victorian house with a heavily stocked and well established garden.  She has not had a lot of gardening experience (nor have I really) and she is concerned about an apple tree and some plum trees.  The garden is walled to about 7 feet all round.  To me the soil looks very dry. 

Two of the plum trees look old and gnarled, but with a reasonable crop on them.  Some of the fruits, although still small, have split, others have gone brown.  What is the reason for this? 

There is an apple tree whcih is not tall (about 6 feet) but heavily laden with young fruit, so it will possibly need propping up.  What is the best way to do this? 

It will need pruning after fruiting but how should she tackle this?

Lastly there is an espalier trained tree with abundant small green fruits, I think may be plums, is that possible?  It looks like it needs considerable pruning as the branches are crossing all over.  What is the best way of doing this?  The grafting point seems to be very much above the ground level and wonder if the soil has eroded over time.

I've told her to feed and water all the trees, dig in soem manure, and to add more soil to the base of the espalier.  Is this correct?
Title: Re: How's your fruit tree's this year?!
Post by: JD on June 30, 2011, 08:23:54 pm
I am no expert Annie but do have a few fruit trees which are doing well and look after a few gardens with fruit trees. Regarding the split plums I think this could be a lack of water. Both the plum and the heavily laden apple should have the fruits thinned out to allow remaining fruits to fully develop. There is something called 'June drop' which is when weaker fruits fall from the tree naturally but sometimes I give the trees a little help by shaking the trunk/branches (wear a hat). Gardeners World magazine has a good article on summer pruning in July issue.
Regarding pruning this should be done before winter, especially for plums. Just cut out the dead, diseased and crossing branches first then cut back this seasons growth to to three buds. The harder you prune the less fruit you will get next year so you could  spread it over a few years.
You are correct about the watering, feeding and mulching. Hope this helps.

JD   
Title: Re: How's your fruit tree's this year?!
Post by: ballingall on July 02, 2011, 11:43:33 pm
I was at my sister's a fortnight ago and noticed that her plum tree was laden- looks like being a really good crop. Our plums look like having a fair crop but not an exessive amount. Perhaps partly due to the fact that one plum tree lost a third of itself in high winds at the end of last year. The apples I haven't really looked at yet- I'm bit worried as to whether this means we won't have many! There are NO fruits on the greengage- I have checked this closely as I love these.


Beth
Title: Re: How's your fruit tree's this year?!
Post by: manian on July 03, 2011, 08:40:31 am
well if all the soft fruits are doing well (our damsons are heavily laden as they were last year)..... then it looks like we are in for a hard winter just like Bamford6 (Gary) has said.......
right just off to cut wood toget ready
Mx
Title: Re: How's your fruit tree's this year?!
Post by: plumseverywhere on July 03, 2011, 05:25:14 pm
Just been to our orchard, plum wine running out so we need to start getting organised  ;)   we have at least 10 new, young tree's covered in really sweet pink plums, so very happy.  the heron tree's that normally start being harvested mid july are pretty much ready so we are about 2 weeks early.
Not so good if this heralds a heavy winter though - Booooo!!
Title: Re: How's your fruit tree's this year?!
Post by: shearling on July 30, 2011, 10:13:16 pm
Three trees all absolutely covered and weighed down with plums/damsons. Running out of ideas of what to do with them. Made chutney, made wine, made jam. ::) the amount already made will last us over the next year and cannot give them away. Dogs have been eating the wind falls  :-\ great fun especially when they have fermented  ;D ;D. Apple trees have also gone mad - see apple tree post - All fruit and flowers are a good month early and going over quickly
Title: Re: How's your fruit tree's this year?!
Post by: katie on July 30, 2011, 10:39:44 pm
Our apples look set to be ready early - all 800+ trees of them-groan! We haven't quite sold out of last year's apple juice yet either. The Mirabelle plums are over, the Pershore Yellow egg plums are ready and the Vics are ripening. Damsons are looking good too.
Title: Re: How's your fruit tree's this year?!
Post by: doganjo on July 30, 2011, 11:09:40 pm
My baby trees are very mixed. (all from Morrisons/Aldis/Lidls and all less than 3 years old)

In the front paddock I have a pear tree with three on it, two apples trees - between them about 21 apples, and one of them has sprouted from below the root stock as the top broke off in the wind.  Then there is a plum tree with about 20 on it, and a crab apple and ordinary apple with absolutely zilch on them except a little mould in on the leaves.  Also there's ablackcurrant bush which ash produced about 5 kilos of lovely black berries.

At the back there is a plum with a  few fruits on it, and two apple trees that have also succumbed to mould.  Any ideas why some were affected and not others, and what to do about them?  At the back there is a gooseberry bush which ws laden with berries (now in a pan awaiting action from me), and a number of raspberry bushes which have been very poor.  Mould on tehm too I think, but they are in dumpy bags not straight into the earth.

Title: Re: How's your fruit tree's this year?!
Post by: plumseverywhere on July 31, 2011, 09:01:34 am
Our vic's have been hit by sawfly  >:(  same happened early season last year and then we still had a good crop so fingers crossed.
the yellow egg plums and heron's are all done now (mostly in a vat of wine, yay!)
pears look good this year  :)
Title: Re: How's your fruit tree's this year?!
Post by: Rumpleteazer on August 29, 2011, 10:38:04 pm
Has been an exceptional year for our fruit trees - loads and load of apples, loads of pears and millions of damsons. We even managed to get a decent crop of cherries and got to them before the birds did!
Title: Re: How's your fruit tree's this year?!
Post by: doganjo on August 29, 2011, 10:54:33 pm
My poor little 3 year old apple tree and its rogue brother were robbed out last night! :'( :'(  I came out this morning to a half chewed unripe green apple half way up the paddock and another 7 or 8 untouched ones just flung about - then I found another with a bite out of it!  Kids obviously but must have been after 11pm as I was out then and the apples were all on there.  So they got about 10 and I hope they give them stomach ache as they still had a week or two to go to ripen.  What do I do with the others? ::)
Title: Re: How's your fruit tree's this year?!
Post by: Sandy on August 29, 2011, 11:25:04 pm
We have loads of apples on our apple trees, last year some one did the same and took the lot before they were ready, I told our dogs off for barking but as they are fenced off from the area where the trees are, there is little I can do and I do not want to pick them before they are ready...,fingers crossed I will get apples this year!
 PS Plumb tree died and pear and nut tree looks bare
Title: Re: How's your fruit tree's this year?!
Post by: doganjo on August 29, 2011, 11:50:59 pm
I wouldn't mind kids taking some to eat, but to throw half ripe ones around my grass was pure waste.
Title: Re: How's your fruit tree's this year?!
Post by: pgkevet on August 30, 2011, 07:04:35 am
2 yrs ago I had my whole 'ready to pick next morning' apple trees stripped..as well as all the lemons stolen. And at the moment that's a town garden they had to go over a couple of fences to get to...would have ended up in a corner shop somewhere >:(
Now I keep the lemons picked regularly and the apples come off a little sour and get 'strudel'ed'
I was going to extend the CCTV but it'd be a waste of time. The last lot of vandalism to my wife's car caught on CCTV and the response was 'If you don't know who they are then we're not going to catch them' - Huh? If I'd known who they were then it wouldn't have been me calling Plod!

I wouldn't mind a couple of kids taking an apple or two - there;s usually plenty - but that was robbery plain and simple.
Title: Re: How's your fruit tree's this year?!
Post by: Sandy on August 30, 2011, 10:15:05 am
Children often pick apples to throw at each other rather than eat, the game is getting them. I hope they do not get to my nuts ;)
Title: Re: How's your fruit tree's this year?!
Post by: doganjo on August 30, 2011, 10:55:10 am
My 40 year old son was here yesterday and when I told him about it he laughed - he used to do the same thing!   ::)   I mentioned the waste and he just shrugged 'you don't think of that when your a teenager, Mum, get real!' Sometimes I think he is still a teenager! ::) ::) ::)
Title: Re: How's your fruit tree's this year?!
Post by: Blueeyes on August 30, 2011, 02:31:23 pm
We moved into our place just over a year ago and had some fruit in our orchard (14 trees of various types of plums, apples, pears, and the cherry tree we've added this year), but this year we are laden with fruit, we have some plums and apples ready at the moment (gorgeous!!!) and some still to follow.

No cherries this year, but we didn't expect them as the tree was only planted in April, but the tree is looking really healthy so fingers crossed for next year!

The orchard looks beautiful as the front couple of apple trees have apples on so red they almost look fake  :D

Really pleased though we can't take any credit as we've done nothing to help them!

Blueeyes in East Yorkshire xx