On Sun, 11 Mar 2012 15:41:21 -0000, "Ophelia"
wrote:

I would like to ask for some advice about my fruit trees, if I may?

I have apple and plum trees in my garden; all dwarf types. The last few
years we have been away working for most of the summer and in the last two
years, in the autumn, the fruits have dropped before being fully formed and
look scabby. They flowered very well.

It looks like we might be away for most of this summer too, is there
something I can use to prevent that happening? Some spray perhaps?
Something I can do now?

I would be grateful for any advice, because it is such a waste!

Thank you for any help you may be able to give.

I don't grow plums so can't comment on those but for apples, a lot of
pea-sized fruits dropping early in the year is a sure sign of poor
pollination - this may result from there being no pollinating tree
nearby, even so-called self-pollinators will do a lot better if they
have a "mate" which needs to be a different variety. There also need
to be pollinating insects - a shortage of bees will result in poor
pollination.

Next stage is the so-called June drop. Trees naturally thin their crop
out around this time but if they haven't got access to a balance of
nutrients this drop becomes more serious. A mix of cloudy weather and
low temperatures reduces photosynthesis and this starves the tree of
carbohydrates. Round here, we had a wonderful early spring which
degenerated in May/June and this caused a larger drop of 1-1.5 inch
apples.

From then on you're at the mercy of the weather and the nutrients
available to the trees. If they go hungry, they will continue to thin
out their crop as a natural survival tactic. If you've been away for
most of the summer, then irregular watering is a likely cause as it
doesn't normally rain the same amount every few days!

IME, dwarf trees need more care than their larger cousins, perhaps
because they have smaller root systems and are so more susceptible to
low moisture/nutrient levels in the soil. The only thing I can suggest
as a part solution is to make sure that the soil around the trunks of
the trees is clear of grass and other plants for at least a foot away
from the trunk. A liberal sprinkling of bone meal, raked into that
soil area now will help; it you have foxes use something like Growmore
instead.

If you have apple scab, then it won't go away on its own and you need
to tackle it on an ongoing basis. There are sprays available that will
give some control but you won't be around to follow the fairly strict
regime involved. Pruning out and destroying infected wood as soon as
discovered is also essential as is destroying any infected leaves or
fruits that fall.

Cheers, Jake
=======================================
Urgling happily from the dryer end of Swansea Bay.