Fruit

[4wanderingeyes]

How long from the time the pedals fall off to when the fruit forms? It looks like most of mine have dropped the pedals, but how or when can I tell if they will form fruit?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Maya]

Generally pretty quick. Around 2-4 days you can see a noticeable swell. Some varieties more than others. Then in 3-6 more days or so you really see the dominant fruit.

I remember I took this pic a day or two after petal fall and had sprayed for thinning and plum curculio that morning. Then I got pummeled by a bad hail storm that afternoon. That's why I took the pic, but you can see the different sizes of the weaker fruit and the king in that cluster to the right of my hand on these Idareds. This exact cluster may have dropped a day or two before that.

 

[4wanderingeyes]

Mine don't look like that. Looks like they are just kind of dried out. Oh well. Another appleless year.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Maya]

Mine don't look like that. Looks like they are just kind of dried out. Oh well. Another appleless year.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

No, you misunderstood, these all are good. Some just weaker than that one at the right. Very normal! Post some pics and also cut a few in half, if they are green there is a good chance they are good.

 

[Turkey Creek]

Unless you are me! I went from having what I thought was going to be a very good crop to essentially no crop this year even when my trees looked like what you posted Maya. I have found 3 apples while working over the last couple of weeks. Thinking of posting armed guards at those!

 

[4wanderingeyes]

These are from this morning, do you think I will have fruit this year?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[roth2000]

I definetly see a couple areas swelling right where the flower leaves are curled back. I'd say you should see some fruit this year if things continue to go well.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Yes. You should see some fruit. ^^^^ The tiny, barely-there round swellings behind the curled rear end of the dried blossoms are the beginnings of your fruit. Soon they'll be as big as a pea, then continue to grow. All good !!!

 

[Maya]

You're all set 4, just don't let them overcrop. Thin them in a week or two. One fruit every 6" or so max.

 

[4wanderingeyes]

Awesome! It will be my first fruit. So I am excited! Thanks for the info!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[4wanderingeyes]

I need to work on pruning more this winter. So that means I need to figure out how to do that.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Barndog56]

I should have my first apples two. Have a Granny Smith and a Zestar that both have a couple dozen little ones. Looks like are a couple days ahead of yours.

 

[4wanderingeyes]

I have 3 trees out of 17 that looked like they will have some fruit. A woodarz, Harelson, and a State Fair. I never looked at this years trees.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[roth2000]

My zestar was ridiculously loaded with apples this year so there was lots of thinning to be done on that tree. Kinda cool you have a woodarz apple tree as the tree originated only a short distance from me. I don't have it myself but they is always next year.

 

[Maya]

I need to work on pruning more this winter. So that means I need to figure out how to do that.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Here's a good start.........
https://ecommons.cornell.edu/bitstream/handle/1813/17817/IB 112.pdf?sequence=2

 

[roth2000]

With regards to pruning there are many ideas on the best methods but a couple things that are common is to 1-prune any dead or diseased wood first, 2-prune out water sprouts, 3-prune any crossing or inward growing branches. From there your up to your own judgement.

 

[Charman03]

congrats on the first fruit, I know the feeling. Got my first apples this year as well, 2 on a young liberty.

 

[H20fwler]

It was looking like a good fruit crop this year then we got a quick freeze one night about three weeks ago...thinned them right out.

 

[4wanderingeyes]

You're all set 4, just don't let them overcrop. Thin them in a week or two. One fruit every 6" or so max.

Speaking of thinning, what is the best way to thin them? Pull the small fruit off by the stem? Or cut them off at the stem? I don't have any spray, and would prefer to thin them by hand. Since there more then likely won't be too many.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Appleman]

I have a very heavy fruit set this year so in order to improve fruit quality and a good return bloom I sprayed 1 qt of Sevin XLR per 100 gallons of water at 90% petal fall. Will do a followup spray after inspection of fruit set this Saturday and may add NAA to the mix for more aggressive thinning if necessary. For hand thinning I like using a pair of scissor clipping away the fruitlets and keeping the king blossom fruit. I don't use the leaf count per fruit instead choose to make it easy by keep a fruit every six inches.