OT: Awesome Year For Our Fruit Trees

Fullers Farmalls · Aug 20, 2014

This year has to be the best year for fruit in my area(SW PA). Every apple tree we have is loaded. The peach tree is trying to break it branches. First time we had plums on our plum trees. Pears are doing good. We use to have ok years but the last 4 or 5 we didn't get much fruit. Does anyone think the brutal winter snapped the trees into production?

Tom in TN · Aug 20, 2014

I don't know what helped your trees, but I know what hurt our trees. I have about a dozen fruit trees - apples, peaches, plums, cherries, apricots, plus some grape vines.

We did not get one single piece of fruit from any of them. When they were in blossom, we had a very hard freeze that lasted for about four days. Not a single fruit survived.

I'm glad your trees are doing so well. Maybe ours will bounce back next year.

Tom in TN

SweetFeet · Aug 20, 2014

Ah-hah! So YOU got all our apples. LOL

We too had a late hard-freeze. We got 7 apples. Ate one green and waiting for the rest to ripen.

Nick167 · Aug 20, 2014

Here in NC Ohio the peach trees don't have a single peach on them

TimV · Aug 20, 2014

Bit of an odd year for fruit here in NY--we had a very cold snap in late spring that froze off a lot of blossoms, but some things are still doing very well. My parents have apple trees on both sides of the road in front of their place--the trees on one side are loaded and the trees on the other are almost completely bare. No appreciable difference in sun, shade, etc. between the two sides--go figure. Just saw that NY grape growers will be allowed to import grapes to mix this year, which only happens when a large percentage (I believe about 40%) of the crop is lost, which happened to several varieties of wine grapes this year. Acorn crop looks decent, though I haven't seen how other nuts are doing--have to check some black walnut, beech, and butternut trees I know of just for curiosity. Last year was a HUGE year for all kinds of mast, but still a bit early to tell how this year will be.

Bob Harvey · Aug 20, 2014

I'm not sure if it means anything, BUT, we have had an early 'Bumper' crop of wild Blackberries ( already froze 40+#) and our grapevine has produced about 50# of sweet fruit-last year about 10#. Could this be a harbinger of another nasty winter ??

redforlife · Aug 20, 2014

My peach trees are empty (late frost). One young tree is a late blumer and has a few on it. Think it is its first year for fruit. Apple tree has some on it, but not anything to brag about. Same with the pear tree.

Dave H (MI) · Aug 20, 2014

No...because I haven't seen that here. I think there is only a couple apples on our tree. Last year there was so much fruit it split two large limbs off the semi-dwarf tree. Which brings me to my point today...go out and inspect the trees and prop any branches that are sagging. You probably already have but I was so busy last year I never noticed and darn near lost my tree.

Spudm · Aug 20, 2014

Some farms here in West Michigan have fruit, and others have no fruit. My neighbor on a hill has sixty acres of peaches, full crop, he had to thin them this year. Wholesale market is at $30.00 1/2 bu.

uncle henry · Aug 20, 2014

my plum tree had enough for the birds and my neighbor and me to eat off the tree and make jelly but its got bugs or worms that makes jelly like stuff on the trunk of the tree

Fergienewbee · Aug 21, 2014

BIL and SIL have a peach orchard. They have about a 25% crop. Gentleman up the road has an excellent crop of plums. Not sure about apples yet.

Larry

texasranger · Aug 21, 2014

I live in nepa and last year we had a great apple and peach crop and this year nothing

RayP(MI) · Aug 21, 2014

Our apple trees are pretty thin this year.

Cue P. · Aug 21, 2014

A number of factors can lead to poor production - over production the previous year (next year you may be back to less fruit), frost during bloom time (as others mentioned), rainy or cool weather during bloom will deter bees from pollinating, or any other unforeseen stresses placed on a tree. Some of my own are in an off year while others nearby have a decent crop...

Fullers Farmalls · Aug 21, 2014

We propped the peaches up. High winds knocked a few apples off and that helped the branches of those trees. We also didn't have a late frost or high winds during the blossom stage. I know that helped. Hopefully I'll get some pictures up when we make our cider, apple butter, and apple sauce.

OT: Awesome Year For Our Fruit Trees

Fullers Farmalls

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Tom in TN

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SweetFeet

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Nick167

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TimV

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Bob Harvey

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redforlife

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Dave H (MI)

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Spudm

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uncle henry

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Fergienewbee

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texasranger

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RayP(MI)

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Cue P.

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Fullers Farmalls

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