Blossoms on newly planted apple trees?

[nitro27]

It comes to mind that I read someplace that a person should remove blossoms on the tree the first year so all growth will go to establishing the tree. Is this correct?? I

 

[greyphase]

From everything I've read that's correct. You may want to remove blooms for several years to let the tree grow wood and keep from "runting" the tree.

 

[sagittarius]

Yes, for the first several years. Let the tree put its energy into growth, rather than flower/fruit production.

 

[j-bird]

I have done this as well. I figured I would be better servered getting the tree to spend resources growing than poducing fruit. My trees are caged so any fruit they would produce would not reach the deer anyway! I also stay fairly aggressive with pruning to promote vertical growth in an effort to get my trees out of the reach of the deer as quickly as possible.