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It has been so cold this year that my fruit trees are barely waking up. The last one just opened flowers yesterday, and June is only 5 days away.
I have a shortage of pollinating insects. It is too cold for them to be out and about, although the few sunny days have brought out some little tiny bees, about 1/4 the size of honey bees, but working hard. They are doing their job, but I wonder if there are enough warm days left in the year for fruit to grow and ripen.
All over the states, I am hearing about trees waking late and there seems to be more disease than usual.
Some of those folks in the South East seem to have ripe fruit already, but the rest of us are going to have a thin year.
How's in going in your neighborhood? How are your fruit trees and berries doing?
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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We actually had some sunny days and I have seen bees around. Our apple trees have set fruit, and even my apple graft on a pear tree has little apples on it. The only berry plants I have are Huckleberries, and those have never had any blossoms or fruit since I planted them in 2007. Across the street the neighbor has apples, cherries and plums. All of those were loaded with blossoms. We really only had about one week below freezing, mostly in the 20s, and one day at 13F. The last few nights have been 50-60F so I planted my peppers and cucumbers.
Blueberries are doing all right; boysenberries were just put in this year so no problems there. It's going to be a bad year for wild berries/wild plums around here, though, so I expect bear activity near human habitat to be higher than usual (as in more garbage bears). I think my berries at my place in Alaska are doing fine, but I haven't been there this spring.
Fruits and vegetables are doing great here (Orange County, CA). I pruned my apple tree very carefully last fall and it is absolutely loaded with flowers and small apples up to about in inch in diameter. The lemon and tangerine trees are done for the year and won't have fruit again until next spring.
I have green beans and cucumbers that are flowering like crazy, and I'm already giving zucchini away! This is our prime time for vegetables. By the time we get to August, the best is over because it really gets too hot by then.
Fruits and vegetables are doing great here (Orange County, CA). I pruned my apple tree very carefully last fall and it is absolutely loaded with flowers and small apples up to about in inch in diameter. The lemon and tangerine trees are done for the year and won't have fruit again until next spring.
I have green beans and cucumbers that are flowering like crazy, and I'm already giving zucchini away! This is our prime time for vegetables. By the time we get to August, the best is over because it really gets too hot by then.
Likewise...have a 10x20' garden plot at local community center...tomatoes (mainly Better Boy, Champion, & a few Early Girl's) are fruiting nicely now.
I always have bees and have seen them here, working hard. I have a lot of flowers and before the true flowers, I have a lot of flowering weeds. However, my fig tree has not got one single fruit start. Aside from being cooler than usual, that freeze and thaw and re-freeze and thaw and re-freeze again in the late winter did no good at all. All other fruit and veg is going to be late if at all.
My apple, pear and cherry trees are blossoming now or just ended. The peach died over the winter, and its replacement is too young to blossom this year. It's too early for brambles. My high bush blueberries are finished, and the wild blueberries are in full bloom. I have honeybees so pollination isn't a problem.
I've noticed a lot of fruit trees with few blossoms this year. I'm not positive about what happened, but I'm guessing the unusually harsh wind over the winter desiccated them. Of all years, this is unfortunate. I don't think I'll have enough pears to put up a year's worth. There will still be plenty of apples but probably as much variety. We'll see what it looks like when the fruits set.
Most of our blueberries were ruined by a late frost during bloom season in late March/early April. That happens nearly every year. Our bushes are rather old and should be replaced with later blooming varieties, but we often have long dry spells that are hard on new ones.
Our peaches are coming along, but are full of worms and brown rot. I didn’t treat them with dormant season sprays this year and it shows. The pears are small but promising. Apples don’t thrive here for many reasons. I’ve given up on them.
We have an immature cherry and pear tree that just blossomed. We planted haskap and raspberry plants last year- the haskaps are blooming and the raspberries are taking off. Some pollinators have been around, but our weather is typical Montana spring. 80 degrees 2 days ago, 40’s today.
Blueberries are doing well, but my orange and lime trees are struggling. My fig is just not happy at all. I should try moving it. It doesn’t die, but it never grows either.
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