This is the journal of my endeavours to grow a range of fruit, veg and flowers from seed, grow organically, and my attempts to create a personal paradise with 1/2 acre of maintained gardens and 1/2 acre wild meadows. Northern Ireland's average daily high temperatures are 18 °C (64 °F) in July and 6 °C (43 °F) in January. Soil type: Clay

Tuesday 22 October 2013

No Apples for Me

Photo taken  October 2012.
Last year I had a record harvest of 15 organically grown apples from a little pot grown tree (yes, that's my top record.) This year I have a record - 0 apples (yes, zero). But it's my own fault...

We had a cold Spring and a warm, dry Summer. My apple tree is a self fertilizing tree that grows in a large pot. I was very bad and forgot to water it during the summer so I imagine this is why the fruits dried up and didn't develop. I do miss my little harvest of apples. Suppose there's always next year!

Copyright: All words and photos are property of Kelli's Northern Ireland Garden.

11 comments:

  1. Oh what a shame they look lovely apples too. I had a tree in a pot that I moved to the back of a border and immediately forgot about it - it is now dead as a doorknob - that's the only trouble with trees in pots you can't get away with not watering them. Hey ho - we live and learn.

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  2. Ah, my mantra : there is always next year. We don't have very good luck with our traditional trees either.

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  3. Oh dear - what type pf apple is it? Very Snow White half red and half green.

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    1. Hi Sue, I've no idea what type of apple tree it is. I bought it years ago before I started keeping notes of plant names etc.

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  4. Monty Don said it had been a really good year for apples. Just goes to show - what does he know!

    I did water our peach and nectarine trees in pots and we didn't have any fruit from them either. As you say there's always next year.

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  5. There were no apples for me either, though I wasn't really expecting any. I bought two dwarf apple trees last year which I'm growing in containers so I'm hoping that they might just produce something for me next year.

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  6. Hello Kelli. Fruiting apple tree always make me jealous, because I can't plant it here, too hot. But in highland tropics apple trees can produce fruits twice a year. I love to read your blog.
    I'm your new follower. Thanks for sharing
    Endah
    Indonesia

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  7. Yes, always next year Kelli! I often think these lessons are valueable. You won't forget next year ;)

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  8. Well this year I had exactly no apples too. My tree has developed a bi-ennial habit, fruiting every other year, which is commonly associated with stress - such as that caused by insufficient water-supply. I'm not so sure: last year my tree had loads of water, yet this year it produced no blossom at all, hence no fruit. This year the weather has been very different, so like you I await next year's performance with eager anticipation! I also acquired 2 more apple trees this year, so perhaps the older one will be shamed into pulling its socks up? I live in hope!

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  9. If it's grown apples once it can always grow them again. Hopefully, next year will be better.

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  10. I imagine those apples were outstanding! Here in Wisconsin last year's crop was destroyed basically by a late season freeze of the blossoms... as a result, this year's fruit production has been amazing... It sometimes seems like nature has a way of leveling things out... Thanks for visiting my site... Larry

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