Apple Trees in Bloom

Bees Pollinate the Apple Blossoms

Spring in New York Apple Country

April is the time to prepare for spring planting. The average tree will bear fruit in three years, with full production coming in 8-10 years. Most apple trees planted today are on dwarf stock, which are smaller trees that grow more fruit than older traditional trees. This allows for more efficient use of valuable land and labor.

Since apples do not grow true to their seeds, young trees are grown in a nursery from cuttings. Root-stock is selected for size and vigor, which then receives grafting of the desired variety. Grafting involves taping rootstocks and the budwood of a particular variety so that the wood grows together to create a new tree. After the new trees are established they are transplanted to the orchard site.

Spring is a busy time in the orchard. The brush from pruning is picked up or mulched back into the orchard soil. Grass is mown since it competes for the soil nutrients and harbors pests. Growers start using Integrated Pest Management techniques like monitoring the weather while hanging various insect traps to collect data. Temperature, humidity, and rainfall are recorded in orchard weather stations to predict disease outbreaks and identify effective pest management tools. Both harmful and beneficial insects are counted to determine spray schedules. Spraying is done only when absolutely needed to protect the tree and fruit.

The most important spring activity is pollination, the process by which new apples begin to form on the tree. Sometime around the beginning of May, the buds begin to swell. Apple trees are covered with beautiful clusters of fragrant blossoms as May goes on.

The “King” blossom is the largest and center-most of clusters which contain five blossoms. The opening of this blossom signals the time for pollination to begin. Bee colonies rented from bee keepers must be moved in quickly, usually at night when the bees are not as active. Sunny mild days are needed during bloom to encourage strong bee activity. Apples need pollen from more than one variety for the cross-pollination that ensures good fruit set.

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