how long before trees produce apples?

[Maylar]

My back yard is plenty big enough for a few apple trees, but I'm an old guy and can't wait till I'm 80 before getting apples. Can you buy trees that are already old enough to produce fruit in a year or two?

 

[Dgallo]

My back yard is plenty big enough for a few apple trees, but I'm an old guy and can't wait till I'm 80 before getting apples. Can you buy trees that are already old enough to produce fruit in a year or two?

Yes sir. You’ll get Apples the same year you buy a tree if it’s flowering. Just remember you need at least two trees of different varieties since they don’t self pollinate

 

[Dgallo]

We have a family nursery business and here’s an example of crimson crisp apple tree that’s just about 4 feet tall and is already productive

 

[wasully]

Smaller rootstocks generally produce fruit faster. I bought 4 4x1 trees this year, they were maybe 1/2", 3/4" thick at the trunk. b118, semi dwarf rootstock, and I think 3 of them produced fruit. Mind you, like 3-5 apples each. But, nonetheless. Fruit. Dwarf trees from a nursery should produce in 3 years, for sure.

 

[matridium]

Yes sir. You’ll get Apples the same year you buy a tree if it’s flowering. Just remember you need at least two trees of different varieties since they don’t self pollinate

I have had my trees for five years now and no flowers no fruit.. Same with my pears. I have two different varities to pollenate. My neighbor has two old apple trees probably 30 year old that produce like mad.
I'm doing something wrong I guess. Neighbor does nothing for his trees. I don't either, but his are doing fine.

 

[Dgallo]

I have had my trees for five years now and no flowers no fruit.. Same with my pears. I have two different varities to pollenate. My neighbor has two old apple trees probably 30 year old that produce like mad.
I'm doing something wrong I guess. Neighbor does nothing for his trees. I don't either, but his are doing fine.

If you have them in full sun (that’s ideally what they need) you should amend with with high phosphorus fertilizer. A fruit tree blossom booster ffertilizer you can readily find in stores or online. Fertilize this fall and again in the spring

 

[BILTIT]

I have a few baking apple trees in our yard but wanted something for eating for the kids. Went to our local nursery, found a 4 in 1 grafted apple tree with fruit already on it. 4 different apples on 1 tree and we got to eat about 15 apples to boot.

Tree is about 6ft tall in the pot. Small seedlings are usually the better option if you have a few years to wait though.

 

[gregbathurst]

I have had my trees for five years now and no flowers no fruit.. Same with my pears. I have two different varities to pollenate. My neighbor has two old apple trees probably 30 year old that produce like mad.
I'm doing something wrong I guess. Neighbor does nothing for his trees. I don't either, but his are doing fine.

You don't say what your climate is. Some apples need winter chill to produce flowers, others are low-chill. Some varieties are slow to flower, but most will flower in a few years. pears can be very slow to get to flowering. Sometimes pests will nip off all your flower buds.

 

[dmtaylor]

You need to buy full-dwarf trees on Bud.9 or M.9 rootstock. Or G.16. Look for those specific rootstocks. Get your trees from Cummins, Fedco, or Raintree, in approximately that order of preference too.

The above advice is based on hundreds of hours thought and research that I did about 10 years ago... and based on experience since that time. If you need apples fast, it's the only way to go.

 

[gregbathurst]

Dwarf trees do produce fruit quicker but they have a restricted root system so they won't be as healthy as trees on vigorous root systems. Unless you are wanting an intensive production system you will ultimately get a better tree if it isn't on dwarfing stock.

 

[Soulshine2]

My back yard is plenty big enough for a few apple trees, but I'm an old guy and can't wait till I'm 80 before getting apples. Can you buy trees that are already old enough to produce fruit in a year or two?

usually a dwarf fruit tree will produce "some" in a year or two . any substantial amount , give it 4. BUT, optimal conditions will help.

 

[matridium]

You don't say what your climate is. Some apples need winter chill to produce flowers, others are low-chill. Some varieties are slow to flower, but most will flower in a few years. pears can be very slow to get to flowering. Sometimes pests will nip off all your flower buds.

I live in Delaware,
We have several apple orchards in Delaware , pear and peach as well
We get good chill in the winter.
Our old property had old trees that produced like mad. That old property was 9 miles south of us.
I planted gala and Fuji on new property.

 

[matridium]

If you have them in full sun (that’s ideally what they need) you should amend with with high phosphorus fertilizer. A fruit tree blossom booster ffertilizer you can readily find in stores or online. Fertilize this fall and again in the spring

The trees get full sun all day until about 5pm then they are shaded out from that time on..
I've never fertilized. I'm thinking the tree spikes? I'll look into that. Also noticed one tree has some kind of black spot on it.
Does pruning help?

 

[Dgallo]

The trees get full sun all day until about 5pm then they are shaded out from that time on..
I've never fertilized. I'm thinking the tree spikes? I'll look into that. Also noticed one tree has some kind of black spot on it.
Does pruning help?

Fruit trees easily get black spot and rust if it’s a wet growing season or stays humid throughout. You can always you a organic copper fungicide in a pump sprayer when you notice the weather staying wet. This will prevent that. Do this after the flowers are gone though

The spikes work well. Just read the directions for how many to use and how close to place them based on the diameter of the tree

 

[dmtaylor]

Dwarf trees do produce fruit quicker but they have a restricted root system so they won't be as healthy as trees on vigorous root systems. Unless you are wanting an intensive production system you will ultimately get a better tree if it isn't on dwarfing stock.

usually a dwarf fruit tree will produce "some" in a year or two . any substantial amount , give it 4. BUT, optimal conditions will help.

Great points, true.

Some varieties are more productive than others as well. My Cortland and Sweet 16 trees flower like CRAZY every year. I end up removing 90% of the flowers or fruit because otherwise they'd all be tiny. The Honeycrisp, on the other hand, took 7 or 8 years to fruit, and after it exploded with fruit for 1 single season, it's only produced handfuls in two years since then. Very biennial or maybe produces only just 2 out of every 5 or 6 years. YMMV