We have an apple tree that produces fruit about the size of a golf ball and then falls from the tree, never maturing. The tree bore fruit to maturity only once since we planted it. Any suggestions?

-- Jack Louis George (jack_george99@hotmail.com), July 09, 2001

Answers

Multiple things could be going on here, folks. Typical problems could include: lack of soil moisture, lack of soil fertility, absense of some needed trace nutrient, lush overgrowth of tree greenery at the expense of fruit (i.e., needs more winter pruning), etc. Insects are not typically responsible for this kind of dramatic fruit drop. Could you provide more info -- such a your climate, area, type of apple tree, pollinators, soils, etc etc etc? Thx.

-- Anita Evangelista (evangel@atlascomm.net), July 09, 2001.

As Anita implied, tree is likely stressed from something or other. If so, it will do the easiest thing it can to reduce stress, and that's to ensure it doesn't have to put energy into maturing fruit; on the theory that it can always try again next year, if it survives that long. Now, one of the other things that can stress it is trying to mature too many fruit - it may be setting more than it can handle, and that triggers it to drop the lot - you may have to thin the fruit. Also, is it a grafted named variety (reliable) or a seedling (anything could happen, and most of that not good)?

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), July 09, 2001.

I'm with Don. A lot of apple growers will spray their trees with a fruit thinner. I was just told recently that Sevin insecticide could be used for that purpose though I do not recall the details. I would check with your local extension agent.

-- Diane (dshogren@uswest.net), July 09, 2001.