What if fruit tree bears no fruit: causes

Why does your fruit tree bear no fruit?

This is a frustrating situation: you have planted a lovely fruit tree (apple, pear, cherry, plum), it grows well, blooms beautifully in spring... but no fruit appears. Or worse: a few fruits grow, but they all fall off in June.

This happens more often than you think, and it is almost never because your tree is "dead" or "bad". It is almost always one of five common causes: poor pollination, too much fertiliser, too young, insufficient chilling hours, or you accidentally planted a self-sterile cultivar.

Cause 1: No pollination (insufficient pollinators)

This is the most common cause. Fruit trees need bees and other insects to pollinate flowers. No pollination = no fruit. Simple.

If your tree:

• Is full of flowers but they just fall off
• Stands in an isolated spot (no bees nearby)
• Is in a garden without wild flowers (no food for bees)
• You have used lots of insecticide

...then insufficient pollination is likely your problem.

How you fix it:

1. Plant more flowers around your tree. Wild flowers attract bees. Sunflowers, daisies, lavender, poppies - anything that blooms helps. This is the best and easiest thing you can do.
2. Avoid insecticide. This kills bees. Even if you use "beneficial insect" products, it always harms insects.
3. Buy a second tree. Many fruit trees (apple, pear) are self-sterile: they cannot pollinate themselves. They need a pollinator tree nearby. A second tree that blooms at the same time helps enormously.
4. Hand pollinate. In emergency you can pollinate flowers yourself with a soft brush. Go along the flowers, and make sure you move pollen from flower to flower. Not easy, but it works.

Cause 2: The tree is too young

Many fruit trees do not bear fruit until year 3-4 or even 5-6. This depends on cultivar.

• Apple: usually year 3-4
• Pear: year 4-5 (sometimes later)
• Cherry: year 4-5
• Plum: year 2-3 usually faster

Young trees use their energy for growth, not fruit. This is biologically normal.

How you fix it: Be patient. You cannot do much. Better is: feed the tree well (nitrogen) and water so it grows fast. The faster it matures, the faster it bears fruit.

Cause 3: Too much fertiliser (especially nitrogen)

Paradoxically, too much fertiliser (especially nitrogen) can cause fruitlessness. Nitrogen stimulates leaf growth, but inhibits fruiting.

If your tree:

• Has very large leaves (excessive)
• Grows enormously each year
• But produces hardly any flowers

...then you may have unintentionally caused the problem by overfertilising with nitrogen.

How you fix it:

1. Stop giving nitrogen. Do not add much more fertiliser. Next year use fertiliser with lower nitrogen percentage.
2. Prune to encourage fruiting. Hard pruning (cutting back) suppresses leaf growth and stimulates flowers. Cut branches back to about 60% of their length in July/August. This helps because it "stresses" the tree to form flowers.

Cause 4: Not enough chilling hours (frost period)

Many fruit trees (apple, pear, cherry) need a certain number of cold hours (below 7 degrees Celsius) in winter to form flowers. This is called "chilling hours". Without enough cold, no flowers, no fruit.

In northern regions we usually have enough cold. But if you live in a warmer climate, or you planted a late-blooming cultivar in a warm location, this could be your problem.

How you fix it: Choose cultivars suited to your climate. For northern regions: you have enough chilling hours. So this is rarely your problem unless you live in a warm climate.

Cause 5: You accidentally planted a self-sterile tree

Some fruit trees cannot pollinate themselves. They need a different cultivar.

Self-sterile (need pollinator):

• Apple: Cox, Elstar, Golden Delicious, Gala
• Pear: Conference, Doyenne du Comice, Forelle
• Cherry: many cultivars are self-sterile
• Plum: many cultivars are self-sterile

Self-fertile (goes alone):

• Apple: some (like Scrumptious, James Grieve)
• Pear: Bosc (usually)
• Cherry: Lapins, Kordia (some)

How you fix it: Buy a second tree that blooms at the same time. For apple: plant two apples of different cultivars. They pollinate each other then. You do not need to plant them right next to each other (metres away is fine), as long as bees can reach both.

Frequently asked questions

My tree blooms beautifully, why do all those flowers fall off?

This is usually poor pollination. The flowers are not properly pollinated, so the fruit does not get a signal to grow. The tree drops all those "failed" flowers.

Can I force my tree to bloom?

Not really. You can prune hard (suppresses feeding and growth), which can stimulate flowers. But if your tree is young, that will not help. Patience is really your only option for young trees.

How do I know if my tree is self-sterile?

Look on the tag that usually comes in your tree or search online for your cultivar + "self-fertile". It usually tells you exactly what you need.

How close do pollinators need to be?

For apple and pear: they can be quite far apart (10-30 metres is fine). As long as bees fly back and forth. Not in two different gardens, but same garden - yes, that works.

Step-by-step

Step 1: Check if your tree is self-sterile

Look up your cultivar online. Does it say "requires pollinator"? Then you need a second tree. Otherwise: go to step 2.

Step 2: Check pollination

Plant wild flowers around your tree (sunflowers, lavender, etc). Make sure bees can reach it. Avoid insecticide.

Step 3: Wait for maturity

Is your tree younger than 3 years? Then wait. Young trees do not bear fruit. This is normal.

Step 4: Check fertiliser

Do not give your tree too much nitrogen. If it is lush green, stop feeding.

Step 5: Hard prune

If nothing works: prune hard in July/August. This can "shock" the tree and set flowers.

Frequently asked questions

Why did my twenty-year-old tree suddenly stop bearing fruit?

Three reasons: 1) You have pruned it differently (stop). 2) You started using insecticide (stop). 3) The tree is old and is suffering from disease (pest, disease). Usually it is number 1 or 2.

Can I pick fruit in the first year they appear?

No. If your tree finally starts bearing (usually year 3-4), do NOT pick fruit that first year. Let them grow and fall. This helps the tree focus properly on fruit for next years.

Can I plant multiple fruit trees together so they pollinate each other?

Yes. This is actually the best plan if you have room. Plant two apples, two pears, etc. They pollinate each other and you get much more harvest.

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