Topic: are your fruit trees out yet ?

[Ricado]

Mine are very slow moving.

I cherry just unfurling, pear apple and peach just becoming visible.

[SMP1704]

Noticed today that the apple trees from Aldi are just starting to unfurl their leaves.  Varieties are Jonagold and Cox's

[Mrs Ava]

My cherries are just showing colour.  The apples are still a very long a way off, and I don't know for sure if my pair made it through the winter!!

[adam04]

My cherries are just showing colour.

always a good sign when your cherrys show some colour i say..... ;D

[Svengali]

I have recently planted out five fruit trees that I bought in pots from a local nursery.
Some of them appear to have been pot grown - at least, they had a solid, well-formed root ball, while others were obviously bare-root trees stuck into a pot, the compost falling away as soon as the pot was removed. They all look healthy, but I have made a 1 meter circle all round them, covered that in weedfleece, covered THAT with bark, and put an edging strip all round to hold the lot together. Yesteday I noticed, under the pear, hundreds of tiny green balls, almost spherical, about the size of the coloured plastic blobs that they use to top dressmaking pins. I intended to remove all blossom in this, their first year, but has the wind done that job for me - and what are the likely consequences?
JeremyB

[cliff_the_gardener]

JeremyB
Good to see some trees being planted correctly - have you left a little space close to the tree itself so snails, mice etc haven't got somewhere to hide whilst eating the bark?
The blossom being blown off will not be a problem.  I would be judicious abour removing fruit rather than blossom - more energy goes into fruit that flower.
My 3 trees in open ground Blenheim orange, Charles Ross and Laxtons superb  are all bursting, those in pots are growing at different rates.  John Downie crab apple is ahead of them all
Blackberry and tayberry on the move, autumn bliss raspberry just breaking bud on some canes
Clifford

[Svengali]

Hi Cliff, not quite sure what you mean by "left a little space" My bark goes right up to the rabbit protection tube.
JeremyB

[cliff_the_gardener]

JeremyB,
Didn't realise you had tubes as well.  Fort knox plants!  Should be fine.  Sometimes when trees are planted, without guards, I have seen mulch placed right up against the bark - which leads to problems
You certainly appear to be on top of it all!
What varieties have you on the go?
Clifford

[Svengali]

Plum - Victoria, Pear - Conference, Cherry - Stella, Cooking Apple - Lord Derby and Eating Apple - Katy.

We thought Lord Derby would have a fine time with those women to look after, but it seems that Victoria, Connie & Stella are otherwise inclined, & decline the services of a male!

JeremyB

[anneliesje]

No sign of life on apple Jonagold yet.  :(
Plum (prune de prince), other apple and cherry (early rivers) are starting to get into bud, even some leaves are out  ::).

[Robert_Brenchley]

Some of mine are at the bursting but stage, some aren't moving at all yet. I have two pears which I bought in pots, which have never done much at all. I dug one up a while ago, and found that it had hardly any roots. Last time I buy trees that aren't bare-rooted! I'm assuming they're both in the same sorry state. The only thing I can think of is to cut them right back, and hope. If they don't show at least some sign of improvement I might as well dig them out and replace them.

[jennym]

In open ground, my pears - Concorde, Goldember - are just about to open, whilst Comice has still tight buds.
Apple trees -  Cox Queen and Winter Gem - still have tight buds.
Cookers - Bramley has tight buds.
Cherries - Summer Sun has good full buds, just starting to open, whilst Morello looks like its struggling to form buds.
Damsons - Shropshire Prune - buds starting to open.
Plums - Victoria - buds still tight, Oullins Golden Gage - buds starting to open.
In containers - Peach Redhaven one has buds opening, one has buds tight.

Jostaberry in full leaf, Blackcurrant - Johanisbeere opening now.
Gooseberries - Invicta and Whinhams Industry - starting to open.
Whitecurrants - Blanka - buds still tight.
Redcurrants - Jonkheer van Tets - buds opening now

[KMARKSnr]

Lancashire area,
Pears bursting into bud,
Apples opening leaves,
Apricots in bloom,
Plums are not showing yet,
Peach just starting to show,
Blackcurrants in full swing,
Blackberry starting,
Redcurrants starting,
Tayberry is very lively,
Wineberry is in full swing,

    etc,etc,all starting now.

                        Regards,
                              Mark.

[Amazin]

Nectarine almost finished flowering,
Pear coming into full flower,
Apple, Plum, Grape and Cherry leaves unfurling,
Raspberries (Summer), Gooseberries, Blackberry, Tayberry, off like rockets,
Blueberry heavy with buds,
Kiwi climbing,
and best of all -
6 ripe lemons!

I was a bit worried that the nectarine had flowered too early to be pollinated  - till I spotted it being visited by three of the biggest fattest bumble bees I've ever seen. In February.

And has anyone else noticed bees in the garden/lottie throughout winter? I saw two visiting my winter-flowering clematis on New Year's Day.