By Maureen Gilmer
DIY NetworkWhen I bought my farm, I couldn't wait for the old apricot trees to shower me with fruit. The trees had a different idea entirely.
We marveled at the incredible spring haze of blossoms, but come summer, nothing happened. Not a single apricot that disappointing first year. Thinking it was a fluke, we waited the second year and the third, but these were duds too. Though healthy, large and beautiful, the trees never did produce.
In the Sierra Mountains, we invariably experienced cold and frost until planting time in early May. Yet the apricots bloomed sometimes in March or April only to wither in the cold. Low daytime temperatures and rain, sometimes light snow, meant bees didn't fly during bloom time. So even if the flowers did survive, they would never be pollinated.
Without bees, there was no trigger that begins fruit production. After blooming, the blossoms fell off and the tree leafed out. Sometimes limited pollination did occur, and I would find tiny pea-sized fruit hanging amidst the developing leaves. But these fruits are vulnerable as well. The weather grew cold again and they froze.
We often experience a "false spring" in February. For a week or two, temperatures warm up considerably to create May-like conditions. This would too often send those apricots and other early bloomers into flower, only to have winter descend again and wipe them out. This is a one-shot deal because once a fruit tree has flowered it will not do so again until the following year.
Barren apricots and false springs taught me a valuable lesson about fruit tree bloom time. I began looking at tags of prospective additions to my orchard more closely. I found each variety was designated as early, midseason or late blooming. My apricot trees were clearly "early" bloomers duped by the false spring into showing color prematurely. I realized that only late-season bloomers would flower when temperatures were warm enough and the bees were flying at my farm.
Those fortunate enough to enjoy a mild climate with frost disappearing while the year is young can plant "early" varieties. These give you edible fruit earlier in the summer. Plant some earlies and some midseason varieties to extend the harvest of fresh fruit over a longer time span.
There is a second bloom-time factor that influences whether you get fruit or not. Most fruit trees are self-fruitful, which means you can grow a single individual and enjoy a reliable harvest every year. But a few require a second tree known as a pollinator so there is cross-pollination. The bad news is you must have the space for two trees, but the good news is you get to enjoy two different varieties.
You can't use just any tree as a pollinator. It must be one that blooms at the same time as your standard variety, be it early, midseason or late. For example, the familiar Bing cherry can be pollinated by Black Tartarian, Van, Rainier or Stella. Fortunately they don't lave to be grown side by side to cross-pollinate. Just plant the pollinator within 50 to 100 yards of its companion tree.
Understanding the nuances of bloom time and weather can seem daunting to a first time fruit tree gardener. Fear not if you are shopping at a quality garden center because their staff is well aware of bloom time in your area, and they can guide you to appropriate pollinators. They will also carry a larger selection and less common varieties than large home improvement stores.
Bare root planting season is right around the corner. Take advantage of this narrow planting window when tree prices are a fraction of their container grown kin.
While it took me years and many failures to learn about bloom time, you can learn from my mistakes and get it right the first time.
(Maureen Gilmer is a horticulturist and host of Weekend Gardening on DIY-Do It Yourself Network. E-mail her at mo@moplants.com. For more information, visit : www.moplants.com or www.DIYNetwork.com. Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service.)
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