no apple blossoms - Ask Extension
Hello
I planted 3 bare root Cortlands in the spring of 2022, watered them well, and fenced them off from the deer. I did some pruning in March to li...
Knowledgebase
no apple blossoms #876630
Asked July 10, 2024, 10:36 AM EDT
Hello
I planted 3 bare root Cortlands in the spring of 2022, watered them well, and fenced them off from the deer. I did some pruning in March to limit the number of big branches, sucker prune, but didn't go crazy. The trees are just beautiful, with lots of new growth and leaves, and no pests or disease that I can find.
But I only had 2 blossoms among the 3 trees. Maybe I shouldn't complain after last year, but only 2 flowers... Why would my trees not bloom more?
Thanks!
Sally Mansur
West Hartford
Windsor County Vermont
Expert Response
Hi, Sally. I'm so glad your apple trees are healthy. It sounds like you are taking good care of them. There are a number of reasons why apple trees don't flower and fruit. These include weather stress (even from the previous year), over-fertilizing, and lack of maturity. One of our helpline experts notes, "apple trees can take a long time to fruit after planting, sometimes 5-7 years." Your trees are still young, so perhaps they just need another season or so.
For more information, check out this article from the Univ. of Wisconsin Extension:
https://polk.extension.wisc.edu/files/2014/02/Why-some-apple-trees-dont-flower.pdf
I hope this sets your mind at ease. If you have more questions, or want us to look at photos, please let me know.
For more information, check out this article from the Univ. of Wisconsin Extension:
https://polk.extension.wisc.edu/files/2014/02/Why-some-apple-trees-dont-flower.pdf
I hope this sets your mind at ease. If you have more questions, or want us to look at photos, please let me know.
