An apple tree can produce many fruits depending on the size, location, health, age, and variety.
Some apple trees can produce anywhere between 300 to 600 apples, and some can carry a thousand produce, but the thing is, if the apples are not that healthy and it is not fully established, it can produce blooms and then have the blooms removed at one point.
It will just fall off and will not reach maturity.
There are other factors why an apple tree will produce fewer fruits including,
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Climate Issues Affecting Apple Trees
There is a period of cold weather where the tree may be slow to bloom or makes it susceptible to frost damage.
This is also true with apple trees, cause it still needs to withstand the extreme weather and if it is not well protected, it can easily succumb to frost damage.
If the apple tree is still too young, it will not immediately produce that much fruit. You need to wait for a few years before it can give out more, given its needs are met, and it is well taken care of. It should be watered and fed with fertilizer at an interval, water should be provided as needed.
No Pollination or Poor location
There should be a different variety of apple trees planted within the vicinity so to help in pollination. An apple tree, when there is less pollen, the fruit will be hard to come by.
The bees and other insects will help scatter the pollen as they go from one apple tree to another.
As the apple tree also requires sunlight for it to grow healthy and, at the same time, bear fruits, placing it in a location with no sunlight will make it prone to diseases and poor nutrition.
This may lead to it not capable of bearing fruit or not have many fruits it can carry to maturity.
Having a location where the apple tree is exposed to excessive water in the soil can also make it unhealthy, and this will not be good for fruit-bearing as well.
If the tree is not that healthy, it will also not carry much fruit, and it will just release most of the bloom if any. The trees should be pruned where the unhealthy branch is removed, as well as, leaves that are not showing prime health.
How To Help Your Apple Tree Produce More Fruit?
Make sure that there are other apple trees nearby.
You need other cultivars of apple trees for cross-pollination. Bees should be present as well, so pollination can happen.
If you have young trees, do not expect them to bear many fruits immediately cause they will need to mature, so it meets the ideal condition of the tree before they can do so. It can take two to four years before it can produce fruits and then a year or two more to produce plenty of fruits.
The key is in making sure that it is getting everything it needs, and you are providing it the best care for it to grow healthy.
How To Provide The Right Care For Your Apple Tree
Young trees need the right amount of water as the roots need this for the strong establishment, without the required water, the apple tree will not grow at the right pace as it should.
Using mulch is also important, but should have the right interval or period.
Fertilizer is a vital ingredient in the growth of apple trees, but should only be applied as required and not more than usual.
The soil should be checked for the right levels of calcium, boron, and potassium since low levels of each can lessen growth and the number of fruits it can produce.
Pruning helps the tree to produce quality fruit as the removal of excess leaves and branches can give way for sunlight to reach every part of the tree.
You must remove the dense or cross branches, including the dead, diseased parts.
Limbs that rub at each other are best removed, and unsightly branches lessen as well. It is ideal to prune every year, but it requires the removal of crossing branches and twigs from time to time.
Check Your Trees for Pests and Diseases
Since every tree is prone to insects and diseases, you should keep these away from your apple tree. The pesticides will help, but it is not also wise to use this often.
Some diseases do not require pesticides and only require manual removal or spraying of water, using anti-insect oil or eco-friendly anti-pest solution.
Deterring mice, rabbits, and deer are also important, as they can be a nuisance to your apple tree and eat at leaves, branches, or fruits they can get their paws and teeth into.
Make sure that you have the repellents at the ready, so when the need arises to apply some, you have it at your disposal.
Remember About Biennial Bearing Fruit Trees
Your apple tree may bear excessive numbers of fruits this year and may produce half of it next year.
The phenomenon is called biennial bearing and is nothing to be worried about. The apple tree can bear fruits that are just too many that even its branches break because of the heavy burden of too many fruits.
This then leads to the tree resting the next year and not producing as much.
You can control this from happening by helping your apple tree by removing some fruits or “thin” it so you can make sure that your apple tree will produce an even number of fruits yearly.
You can remove the fruits that do not look as healthy as the other fruit and leave out the healthy-looking ones.
Doing this will also leave room for the other fruits to grow fully and have a pleasant color and taste. Ensure that no fruits are touching each other as the rubbing can make it susceptible to diseases and attractive to pests.
This will also reduce strain to your apple tree and will not make it too exhausted with too much fruit-bearing.
