Anyone had trouble with fruit-tree pollination this year?

[Marie]

Hii, I'm new here, and I was hoping someone could help me..

I have a number of fruit trees in my garden, including 2 apple trees, a crab apple tree, 2 pear trees, 2 cherry trees, 2 plum trees and I recently bought a winter-hardy kiwifruit vine/tree. (It's a pretty large garden)

The apple trees have been here for 4-5 years, and every year I've had a really decent crop of apples in the autumn (I do prune them each winter in the same way). But this year, I saw all the lovely pink blossom come and go, but there doesn't seem to be many apples coming along. I live in North Wales, UK and heard something about everything being 6 weeks behind, and I'm wondering if the time the blossom on my trees appeared, there was nothing there to pollinate because of the weather? I don't know if this makes sense, though I've never had a problem before with my apples. But this year's crop looks to be a rather disappointing one.

Any thoughts? Or has anyone else had this problem? I hope it corrects itself for next year because I have no idea what I'll do differently...

 

[Soliloquy]

What's the bee situation in your area? I was worried about the effects of colony collapse disorder, but I read that even borer bees can pollinate apple trees and I know I have them around.

 

[Marie]

I know there's an old man lives about 2 miles down the road from me who keeps bees in his own hives, so I would've thought I'd be okay, but I had noticed a decline in the number of bees buzzing around my garden, and I'm out there nearly every day.
Do you think it'd be worth me investing in my own hive, for the sake of the rest of my trees and fruit crop? My garden is large enough, as long as they wouldn't mind being too close to my compost heap.. I'd have to research into it a lot, first.. But if it seems worth it to continue getting bumper crops of fruit year in year out, then I may just bite the bullet and become a bee-keeper.

 

[Jed]

Colony collapse disorder is a big problem in the US. Your idea to become a bee keeper is a good idea. Your neighbour down the road could certainly help you get started . The other consideration is you go shares in a hive with someone who knows more about bee-keeping and learn along the way.
http://npic.orst.edu/envir/ccd.html

http://www.bee-craft.com/welsh-smallholders-give-bees-a-go/

 

[Marie]

Thanks for the links. I'd never heard of Colony collapse disorder; I'm not sure if it's as big a problem in the UK, or if we have a different name for it or something..

I'll look into it all, and let you know how I get on. Do you know if there's a bee-keeping thread or category anywhere on this site? Or any members on here that have experience with bee keeping?

 

[Jackie]

Thanks for the links. I'd never heard of Colony collapse disorder; I'm not sure if it's as big a problem in the UK, or if we have a different name for it or something..

I'll look into it all, and let you know how I get on. Do you know if there's a bee-keeping thread or category anywhere on this site? Or any members on here that have experience with bee keeping?

In BC Canada I had the same problem with my cherry tree. It flowered maybe made 6 cherries which eventually fell off the branches. We had a very warm month in February breaking records and I guess it fooled the tree into thinking it was beginning of spring and then it got cold and wet again so I guess the cold killed any hope of fruit. As for bees I live in a townhouse and am thinking of buying a mason bee nest as the bees don't sting and don't need a lot of land. Would be neat to have honey bees though. FYI the bee population is dying out because of a pesticide used in the States. It was banned in Europe once they realized it was killing bees.