1. 

   sweetmama
   

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   Do you perhaps have an apple tree in your yard. If so, are you willing to let me come and pick the apples off of it? I like to make juice, and hard cider from all the apples in my neighborhood that usually go wasted and falling from disinterest.

   I will come pick them, and pay you back for the sharing with a gallon of your choice.. juice, or the grown up version..

   Give me a note back, or a jingle. Pears and plums work too... :)

   thanks a million.. it is a cool way to use up unwanted fruit, and meet your neighbors..

   :)

   Posted 2 years ago #
2. 

   jj
   

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   We have an apple tree, and we've been too busy to do anything with the apples this year. However, the tree isn't doing so well as last year, so I'm not sure how many useful apples you'd get off of it.

   Posted 2 years ago #
3. 

   g_lov
   

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   Interesting, as our plum tree was the same. Usually we have bags and bags of plums to give away. But this year barely found about 20 plums. Weird. Would be interested to know if other people's fruit trees did poorly.

   Posted 2 years ago #
4. 

   pennygirl
   

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   Same here! A distinct lack of plums.

   Posted 2 years ago #
5. 

   Alonzo Neighbor
   

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   We had less pears than usual. Our neighbor had no cherries where he usually has lots and the plums were not very good. He had a couple buckets of them out for takers last week. I think they are all off the tree now.

   Posted 2 years ago #
6. 

   Quercus
   

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   I posit a cool spring, causing a lack of pollinators when needed. Our neighbor's huge old cherry was also less productive than usual, although since that meant fewer birds dropping fewer half-eaten cherries all over our yard, I didn't really mind.

   Posted 2 years ago #
7. 

   pennygirl
   

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   That's a good point. The lack of fruit meant less night time snacks for the wildlife.

   Posted 2 years ago #
8. 

   Apple
   

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   Cold spring and lack of warm summer means less fruit.

   Posted 2 years ago #
9. 

   phoo
   

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   my quince tree is collapsing from being overburdened with fruit. many branches (a whole section really) are touching the ground.

   Posted 2 years ago #
10. 

    AtheistGoddess
    

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    My 2 apple trees were full of fruit this year. However, it attracted rats. I'd sit out on the deck and watch them. Pretty much any time of day there were 1-2 rats in the trees (that I could see.)

    Aside from cutting down the trees, any suggestions on how to make an apple tree less fruitful?

    Posted 2 years ago #
11. 

    Edog
    

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    "how to make an apple tree less fruitful?" Aside from cutting it down no. I used to clean up the fallen apples with a baseball bat. I'd toss em in the air, swing for the fences, and watch the apples explode into sauce.

    Posted 2 years ago #
12. 

    MidWest
    

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    If you have a pole pruner, you can yank out a bunch of apples at will (just shaking the branches can dislodge fruit as well), stopping when you feel like enough have been removed.

    Posted 2 years ago #
13. 

    sweetmama
    

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    to jj: if you give me a call or another message.. i would be happy to come and get your apples, and then bring you back some cider!!!

    to PHOO: Also to you... I would be happy to alleviate your quince supply and do the same.. it would make lovely cider as well!

    you are welcome to call me, and I can likely come this weekend to get them..

    Cheers!
    206-326-8961

    Posted 2 years ago #
14. 

    AtheistGoddess
    

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    I was hoping someone would have some advice about a failed attempt at fertilizing or something. Sorry sweetmama, until all my neighbors take issue with rodent control I don't think I'll have apples for you.

    Posted 2 years ago #
15. 

    jj
    

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    Apple trees always produce more than they can handle, so you should always remove a bunch in the Spring so the tree won't get over-burdened. Otherwise, the tree might not produce any apples 1 or 2 years down the road. Our problem seems to be some sort of mold on the leaves and a critter (ants or apple maggot) getting into each apple. I really think we need to get an arborist.

    Posted 2 years ago #
16. 

    boatgeek
    

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    If they're apple maggots, you can put a little footy nylon stocking over the fruit not too long after the fruit has set. If you pull it off a week or two before harvest, the apple gets its normal color. I think the P-I had some info on this a year or two ago. The Seattle Tree Fruit Society can probably give you other pointers. The traditional way to reduce the load of apples is to thin the fruit out once they've set, just by getting up into the tree and picking the little apples.

    Posted 2 years ago #
17. 

    clamster
    

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    My apple tree only had 4 little mis-shapen apples this year. Worst year ever. It never does great but a few years ago it had an amazing crop, so many I ended up putting them through the juicer and making some baked goods, and they were pretty tasty apples.

    Posted 2 years ago #
18. 

    MadHatter
    

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    Hey sweetmama,

    I picked about 3 boxes of apples off the one tree this year (and another 2 off the ground which went into yard waste because they are split). I have made as much applesauce as I can and have about half a box left over. You are welcome to it - they are golden delicious (I think) but make nice sauce. Like some of the posters above, I have some issue with bugs but the apples are still good for sauce or pressing.

    Send me an email at rolfstuff at comcast dot net if you are interested.

    Posted 2 years ago #

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