The ups, the downs and the insides out of growing your own in 2024!

ArbitraryRandom

Glittering_M said:

We planted an apple pip (from the supermarket, not marked as organic) around 5 or 6 years ago. It is now about 5-6ft and it produces leaves but it has never formed buds or fruit. 

Can you remember what variety it was? Most apples need one or more pollination partners to produce fruit - if it's producing flowers but no fruit, that would suggest there's nothing compatible nearby. 

Edit: If there's no flowers either then that could be frost killing them before they open (some varieties bud earlier than others) or birds maybe eating them?

kimwp

If you don't know what variety it was, I heard that crabapples will pollinate most other apple trees (provided they bloom at the same time), so that might be a good bet.

ArbitraryRandom

kimwp said:

If you don't know what variety it was, I heard that crabapples will pollinate most other apple trees (provided they bloom at the same time), so that might be a good bet.

Plus some crab apples can themselves produce tasty fruit (a bit small, so good for making jelly etc) 

I've got this one in my front to help pollinate my two apples in the back: https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/124642/malus-laura/details 

And Farway has been posting some lovely pictures of this one in his daughter's garden recently: https://www.thompson-morgan.com/p/apple-columnar-purple-haze-reg/t72420TM

Farway

Glittering_M said:

Another question please that G00gle doesn't seem to be able to help with:

We planted an apple pip (from the supermarket, not marked as organic) around 5 or 6 years ago. It is now about 5-6ft and it produces leaves but it has never formed buds or fruit. 

Ultimately I don't mind it as a tree but I'd prefer it if it produces flowers and apples! 

Is it just too immature? If so, when can I expect as a benchmark for it to do something.
Will it ever fruit? 

It is in a large pot and I replaced the top layer of soil this year with well rotted manure. It probably could go in the ground we just haven't decided where it's permanent home will be (and we are likely going to be moving around too so for now easier in the pot).

 I know apples can get a bit confusing with different root stock and grafting which obviously we haven't done.

Because it was from a pip it could be anything, they do not come true, from the apple

You could wait years and get a sour, small crab, or the jackpot & it's Glittering M's Golden pippin

It's just a matter of time TBH, some do it in three years

In a pot does no harm if large enough pot, and a bit of stress may just kick some life into it

Glittering_M

Thanks all. We have a crab apple probably about 40m away and other apple trees probably about 20m away.

I've never heard of crab apple helping with pollination. That's really interesting!

Absolutely no idea of the variety, some variety from M0rrisons . I'll have a look when I'm next in to see if I can remember the packaging we got as we don't often buy apples as we get them from other trees.

Wait and see I guess!

ArbitraryRandom

If the tree is producing flowers and you have other trees nearby - are the flowers on the trees open at the same time? 

I also wonder if any of the flowers are producing fruit that then falls early (sometimes called june drop) 

I only ask as, after 6 years, I would be expecting SOME fruit, even if only one or two - this year it would be good if maybe you could pay particularly close attention to when any flowers open/close and what happens in the few weeks afterwards? 

FreeBear

Spuds planted. Picked up half a dozen Bleuet tubers early last month and sowed them alongside some unknown purple potatoes that I've been replanting for several years.

Glittering_M

As far as I'm aware my apple tree isn't producing any flowers or buds, just leaves. That is my issue! I'm keeping a better eye on it this year as I have been been guilty of leaving it to it a bit, but no sign of buds this year. Crab apple flowers are out and other apple blossom is starting too come out. 

ArbitraryRandom

FreeBear said:

Spuds planted. Picked up half a dozen Bleuet tubers early last month and sowed them alongside some unknown purple potatoes that I've been replanting for several years.

I'm very glad to see this post - between the builders and them just not chitting, I've not gotten around to planting mine as yet. Hoping/planning to get around to it this weekend (if the weather holds off), but I was thinking I'd missed the boat completely  

Farway

Glittering_M said:

As far as I'm aware my apple tree isn't producing any flowers or buds, just leaves. That is my issue! I'm keeping a better eye on it this year as I have been been guilty of leaving it to it a bit, but no sign of buds this year. Crab apple flowers are out and other apple blossom is starting too come out. 

What shape is the tree? One upright stick or lots of branches?

Got a photo?

If it has branches it can help by getting them down & horizontal, it encourages fruit buds to form