Two 5" diam trees in front lawn facing south. This year, one has lush dark green foliage and few apples. The other is light green, foliage open enough to show framework, and loaded with apples. We suspect that the "light green" tree is not healthy. Neither tree fertalized and only natural watering. Assume drainage the same. Just 18' apart. Any advice?
“Just 18' apart”? Any idea what rootstock they’re on..? Are they “Columnar” apple trees, the cultivars that grow ‘straight up’? Is there grass near their trunks or out to their drip-lines..?
Plants will set fruit (seed) as heavy as possible when stressed, assuming they’d best reproduce because the ‘end is near.’ Don’t know your location - but we’ve had spotty pollination and erratic ‘sets’ in Western Oregon due to a(nother) wet spring.
I suggest thinning the heavily set tree, and don’t be shy - remove enough developing fruit to allow its energy to go into the roots, as opposed to the fruit. Others may speculate as to the exact nutrient deficiency but I’d suggest a balanced water soluble fertilizer for the pale tree, as long as it’s not simply fertilizing a carpet of grass under it. Grass can be deadly on trees; it competes with the surface feeding roots and sucks up moisture before it reaches the lower ones. Remove it and mulch if it’s there.
I don't use synthetic fertilizers. I find people tend to have more disease/pest problems when the plant grows faster than it wants to. It has natural defense systems. I focus instead on the soil, making sure that it drains well and has a large organic content. I add compost as a mild fertilizer. The microbiology in the soil and around the plant add the required nutrition to the plant, so I choose not to kill the microbiology.
John S
PDX OR
Idyllwild
simplepress
jafar
Marsha H
Viron
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