Why does the apple tree not bloom

Apple trees are a long-term project for gardeners; the first harvest can be obtained no earlier than five years after the seedling is planted. And if enough time has passed, and the apple tree has not bloomed, then something went wrong, somewhere you made a mistake and the tree is not comfortable enough to bloom and bear fruit. In addition to the variety and age of the apple tree, other factors can influence flowering: the climatic features of your area, the wrong place for planting the tree, mistakes in care or the invasion of pests. Later in the article, we will talk about the main factors in more detail, and also tell you why the apple tree does not bloom and what measures to take to remedy the situation.

Why the apple tree does not bloom, the reasons. Wrong choice of variety

If you chose an apple variety solely for the taste characteristics of the fruit and did not specify whether it is suitable for growing in your region, then over time, unpleasant surprises may arise. This variety may not be hardy enough, or vice versa - it will be too hot and dry, or too damp. In such a situation, the tree will constantly fight for life, even if rare flowers appear, then there can be no question of a harvest. When choosing seedlings, first of all, specify how comfortable they feel in the climatic conditions of your region.

Another important characteristic of the variety that needs to be clarified when buying seedlings is early maturity. Let's say you are waiting for the harvest in the fifth or sixth year after planting and do not even suspect that your variety blooms only in the tenth year, and maybe even later.

And there are varieties of apple trees that bring a harvest every second year, these include, for example, "Antonovka", "Malinovka", "Grushovka". So if last year your apple tree gave a gorgeous harvest, but this one did not even bloom, do not panic - the tree is just resting, and next season it will again delight you with beautiful flowering and delicious apples.

Why the apple tree does not bear fruit and does not bloom - mistakes when planting a seedling

Planting a tree incorrectly is one of the most common mistakes gardeners make, and it is not easy to fix it, since replanting a rooted grown tree is problematic and there is a chance of ruining it. Therefore, if you are only planning to plant an apple tree, then do it according to all the rules:

- choose a sunny place protected from strong winds; the soil should be sufficiently loose (light loam is best suited); groundwater should pass no higher than two meters from the earth's surface.

- it is better to plant apple tree seedlings in autumn, in the middle lane it will be the first half of October, in the south it can be planted in early November, but in colder regions it is advisable to carry out all the work in September.

- choose the planting material carefully: you need a one-year or two-year-old seedling with an even trunk and healthy developed roots.

- during planting, do not lower the seedling too deeply, if the root collar is underground, then in the future the tree may begin to rot and eventually die.

Why the apple tree does not bloom, what to do - improper tree care

If you chose the right apple variety and did not make mistakes when planting, and flowering did not come, then, most likely, mistakes were made in caring for the tree. But in this case, everything can be corrected if you take proper care, and after a while your tree will bloom and begin to bear fruit.

Pruning.
Perhaps you did not cut the tree at all or, on the contrary, did it too dashingly. If you cut too many branches, then the tree will throw all its strength into growing new branches and, accordingly, you can not wait until a certain moment of fruiting. If pruning was not carried out at all, at first the harvest will be quite abundant, but then a large number of branches will not have enough nutrition, flowering will decrease, and some of the branches will dry out, the tree will be very weakened. Therefore, it is very important to carry out sanitary pruning annually, and periodically shaping and rejuvenating (for mature trees).

Fertilizers.
Flowering will not occur if you "overfeed" the apple tree with fertilizer with a high nitrogen content, which greatly helps the plants to build up green mass. There will not be many buds, and it is likely that the fruits of these flowers will not set. In the spring, it is necessary to apply a moderate amount of nitrogen-containing fertilizers, but then the apple tree will definitely need potassium and phosphorus, which ensure flowering and fruiting.

Irrigation mode and volume.
Water should not be too much or too little, both can lead to a lack of flowering. In the process of watering, the soil should get wet by at least 70 cm.In the first year, 20-30 liters of water must be poured under the apple tree for each square meter of the trunk circle, after the third year the tree will already need 50-70 liters, and the apple tree is older than six to seven years 10 buckets are needed for every meter. Of course, these irrigation rates must be observed taking into account the amount of precipitation, and in a rainy summer, apple trees will not need additional watering.

Diseases and harmful insects

If you are sure that you are taking care of the tree correctly, then you should carefully examine it - perhaps the problem with flowering lies in some kind of disease or in the invasion of parasites.

Firstly, flower buds could be damaged during spring frosts, this often happens, and if it has already happened, then there is no way to correct the situation. But if you know in advance about the likelihood of frost, then you can use common protection measures: smoke or sprinkling. The strongest frosts in spring are closer to the morning, so you will have to sacrifice a few hours of sleep and organize a large fire on the leeward side (if you choose smoke, it helps at -4 degrees) or abundantly irrigate trees from a sprinkler or a hose with a nozzle (effective even with - 7 degrees).

Secondly, upon examination, unwanted insects may be found - apple blossom beetle or weevils. This is unpleasant, but you can get rid of them by spraying the tree with insecticidal preparations and installing special belts on the tree trunk (most importantly, do not forget to regularly renew the adhesive layer on such belts).

And thirdly, the tree could get sick - "peronosporosis", "black cancer", "powdery mildew" strongly weaken the tree and cause a delay in flowering. The affected parts of the tree will have to be removed and burned, everything else will have to be treated with special preparations, depending on the type of disease. And in the future, it is necessary to carry out preventive treatments in a timely manner in order to prevent such situations.

After analyzing all your actions and conducting a thorough examination of the apple tree, you will definitely identify the reason why there is no flowering, and you can fix everything.