Talkback: Spring blossom on fruit trees - Talkback

25/04/2008 at 23:36

My fruit trees have been in about 6 years and I have not yet had much fruit. This year when they have been smothered with blossom they were also covered in snow for 24 hours recently. Has this spoilt any chance of the fruit setting for this year?

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26/04/2008 at 09:22

You have fruit eating squirrels so do I. I harvested apple cores last year. They know how to avoid my nut baited trap. any suggestions?

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27/04/2008 at 16:28

I have found little gray bugs on my bay tree on the underside of the leaves. Can anyone tell me what they are and how i can get rid of them. Thank you.

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28/04/2008 at 16:30

The bugs are probably scale insect or just aphids. If scale insect they live in little hard grey shells under the leaves - scrape off with a finger nail or wipe with a soap based insecticide.

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28/04/2008 at 17:32

Chris - Squirrels are a pain and there is no foolproof way to stop them unless you feel like mounting a 24 hour guard - but they taste delicious.

Jenny: The blossom should be okay. Snow is much less damaging than hard frost.

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28/04/2008 at 18:28

Sounds suspiciously like mildew to me. Powdery mildew is fungal but not fatal and can be controlled by taking good care of your plants.

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18/05/2008 at 10:41

Hi, I have bought some fruit trees from my local B&Q they'll have leaves just growing and are about 5/6 foot tall I have put them into huge pots so I can keep control of them better also my garden is mostly slabbed. Could u explain when they should blossom, as I have read that they should blossom now but all I have are shoots ad a few leaves thanks

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24/05/2008 at 20:43

Fruit trees have just finished blossoming and you should be able to see tiny fruits developing on the branches.

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26/05/2008 at 12:55

We have a very old apple tree, Blenheim Orange, which has blossomed, however, although the fruit is forming, the leaves around the blossom have turned a dirty brown and appear to be dead. Should I cut off all the affected areas or leave and see what happens.

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31/05/2008 at 12:32

I planted an apple tree about 3 years ago and was wondering if anyone knows when it will give fruit.

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08/06/2008 at 17:44

Hello Nina, regarding your question - your tree should have given you fruit at least in the second year of planting. Maybe you should think about planting another one which is a good variety and preferably self-fertile.

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15/06/2008 at 11:17

An interesting article thank you. I planted a small cherry tree five years ago. It doesn't seem to grow much and each year the leaves are curled and black with what seems to be small flies on them. It has fruited last year but this year no blossom at all. When is the best time to prune my tree as some branches look dead? What should I do about the rooting leaves?

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24/06/2008 at 18:21

I am planning a small orchard in the south west of scotland (west facing) with about 15 trees. I have no experience in this area and welcome all ideas. Ideally want a mix of fruit and was wondering about nuts? thanks

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26/06/2008 at 19:28

What a great project, Jane. Hazelnuts and filberts are a great addition to any orchard (provided that you are not overun with squirrels). Apart from that plant a good mix of everything - don't forget greengages. The main thing to choose is the rootstock: this governs how big the trees will become. There are lots of great websites including the RHS where you can find suppliers and recommended varieties.

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31/07/2008 at 19:39

hi all also like kim i have the same problem with curled leaves and bugs on the inside of leaves. the cherry tree flowers and fruit but die off at a very small stage. what can we do?

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24/08/2008 at 20:42

we have cherry & peach & apple in large pots we need advice on how to over winter & produce fruit.

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27/08/2008 at 12:03

Dear Anon. Make sure the pots are big enough and that the soil does not dry out during the winter. Don't bring them in they are perfectly hardy. A good all round fertiliser in the spring would help. There are lots of pruning tips available in books or on the internet.

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28/02/2009 at 18:19

Bay Trees - have decorative trees outside house, north facing, seem relatively happy but one has leaves that are turning very dry and brown but only on the top. Could boiler vent outlet be affecting it? Any ideas?

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02/03/2009 at 14:53

Ash: Distinctly possible. Like the House of Commons they may have too much hot air! You can cut off the dead bits and they should resprout. Are they in pots? if so make sure you always water them even during the winter.

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18/04/2009 at 07:49

I have matching 6yr old pollinating pear trees, Winter Nellis and Beth. Winter Nellis is in full blossom - as always but Beth refuses to deliver any blossom. Can anyone advise why? Or do I need to be more patient in terms of years. I would be grateful for any advice!