revive an unproductive fruit tree

[EJFan]

i have an apple tree (it's a hybrid that grows 5 different kinds of apples) that hasn't had a single blossom on it for years. does anyone know what, if anything, i can do to make it blossom again?

i never actively pollenated it and only have the one tree so i'm sure that's why it stopped producing blossoms & fruit. i don't care so much about the apples i just want to see it blossom again. the only thing i've done to it is fertilize and prune it every year.

any ideas? thanks in advance for your help.

 

[SweetErika]

No clue, but I googled 'unproductive fruit tree' and this was the first result:

Jeff Cox, host of HGTV's Grow It! would never knowingly hurt a tree. But he says one of the best ways to spur a fruit tree to bear fruit is to make it feel as if it's under attack, and therefore needs to produce some seeds so the species will carry on after it dies. So Cox stimulates the reproductive hormones on an unproductive fruit tree by whacking the side of its trunk six to eight times with a sturdy baseball bat. "That makes the tree think, 'Uh oh, I'm going to die, so I better produce some fruit,'" says Cox.

Another way to encourage a tree that's not bearing is to pull down the branches that are growing vertically. Once you've got them in a nearly horizontal position, tie them to a stake in the ground with string. Repeat the process with limbs around the entire tree, so sunlight will bathe the limbs, encouraging them to produce flowers and fruit next year.

Perhaps the whacking would also be good therapy next time a redneck neighbor enrages you or you need to express your frustration over the cock condition.

 

[EJFan]

thanks erika. you know i'm always game for whackin' a stump when i get the chance.

 

[Quoll]

Excellent advice Erika, Ej if it is a multigraft I would think it should be self pollinating. I presume you prune it when it is dormant, although this has always been the traditional time to prune trees it does have the effect of inducing large amounts of growth which is not conducive to creating the conditions mentioned above.
Ok enough of the flowery speech. Dude, try hanging off on the pruning until after spring, even into summer if you want, it's a bit of a pain with all the leaves and stuff but it does slow the tree down a bit which is what you want.
If it produces a lot of new growth each year Stop Being So Damned Nice to it, IIRC a high nitrogen fertiliser will promote a lot of leaf growth, again not something you want. Beat it, starve it, neglect it.
You can also try root pruning to slow it's growth if it is too vigorous.

 

[Quoll]

A couple of other thoughts, when you beat the crap out of the tree, just bruise it don't hack big pieces off and don't completely circle it either.
Also pruning on an established tree should only mean cutting out damaged and rubbing branches plus any that are growing in the centre of the trre blocking the light.
What you need are lots of nice little spurs spaced out over the tree.

 

[EJFan]

thanks quoll... it IS a grafted doo-dad... they stuck branches of various apple trees onto another apple tree. it never pollenated, for whatever reason, and i only had a couple of apples in the first year or two.

it's been growing very well... and i've been pruning it every fall (mostly).... leaves are thick and green, new growth comes easily.

if that add'l information gives you any more ideas, let me know.