Newby apple tree flowering problem

Hi, I have several Apple trees of different varieties. All do extremely well except for 1.

Every year, this 1 tree has almost no flowers on it. When the buds open, they’re basically empty. The tree is 4 years old and it’s been this way every year.

I tried to upload pics to show the good and bad trees, but it says because I’m new I can only upload 1 pic.

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I am not sure what would cause that… in the early days of my orchard I lost several apple trees and pears to fire blight. One of my original apples survived and never got FB (Early McIntosh)… 3 other varieties that I tried after my other original tree (Red Delicious) died of FB… also died of FB…

I kept trying trees that Starks recommended… but after 2-3 years and they started blooming good. FB, and a year or two later, goners.

The last tree they recommended was a Mac Free. I planted it, grew it just like all my others…

it never got FB, but it lived 6-7 years and never bloomed either… it would leaf out each spring, but never bloom. It never really looked healthy or thriving either… and it to eventually just died. Not of FB, but just did not leaf out one spring.

If your tree is otherwise healthy and in a good location, you might try top working it, to graft over with something new, that will hopefully fruit for you.

You can get a lot of scion wood from folks here via trade or by paying for shipping on lots of varieties.

I have Early Mcintosh, NovaMac, Akane, Hudson Golden Gem, Gold Rush… and would be glad to send you any of those next winter.

Good Luck !

TNHunter

That particular bud looks like it got munched by a bug. See the leaf stems and the bite out of the one leaf.

Some apples take longer to start setting reliably so at this point I would just wait. I have a pear that I planted 18 years ago and just this spring it got its first buds.

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When seeking diagnosis, which is always tricky via photo anyway, it often is helpful for those trying to help to know variety and rootstock of tree or trees in discussion, if that information is available.