All my fruit trees have abundant blossom this year, great, thought I.
However I was down by an apple tree this morning, warm, sunny little
wind. The abundant blossom was fully open, but now sight nor sound of
bees, would not it have been normal for the bees to be bust setting my
apples?
--
Please reply to group,emails to designated
address are never read.

On 2009-05-02 14:07:15 +0100, Broadback said:

All my fruit trees have abundant blossom this year, great, thought I.
However I was down by an apple tree this morning, warm, sunny little
wind. The abundant blossom was fully open, but now sight nor sound of
bees, would not it have been normal for the bees to be bust setting my
apples?

Should be but as you know bees are in short supply and deep trouble.
Do you know of a local apiarist who would like to put a hive in your
orchard? They'd probably be grateful of the space and you'd be glad of
the bees.
--
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
Exotic plants, shrubs & perennials
South Devon

On Sat, 2 May 2009 Sacha wrote:

All my fruit trees have abundant blossom this year, great, thought I.
However I was down by an apple tree this morning, warm, sunny little
wind. The abundant blossom was fully open, but now sight nor sound of
bees, would not it have been normal for the bees to be bust setting my
apples?

Should be but as you know bees are in short supply and deep trouble. Do
you know of a local apiarist who would like to put a hive in your
orchard? They'd probably be grateful of the space and you'd be glad of
the bees.

Actually in Normandy there are a lot of bees around this year, but they
aren't hive bees. They seem to be the solitary sort and fly close to the
ground most of the time. It's difficult not to tread on them. We had
quite a few of them here in Reading, too. Our cats kept trying to catch
them and we were worried that they might get stung.

David

--
David Rance writing from Caversham, Reading, UK
http://www.mesnil.demon.co.uk

On 2009-05-02 19:07:10 +0100, David Rance
said:

On Sat, 2 May 2009 Sacha wrote:

All my fruit trees have abundant blossom this year, great, thought I.
However I was down by an apple tree this morning, warm, sunny little
wind. The abundant blossom was fully open, but now sight nor sound of
bees, would not it have been normal for the bees to be bust setting my
apples?

Should be but as you know bees are in short supply and deep trouble. Do
you know of a local apiarist who would like to put a hive in your
orchard? They'd probably be grateful of the space and you'd be glad of
the bees.

Actually in Normandy there are a lot of bees around this year, but they
aren't hive bees. They seem to be the solitary sort and fly close to
the ground most of the time. It's difficult not to tread on them. We
had quite a few of them here in Reading, too. Our cats kept trying to
catch them and we were worried that they might get stung.

David

Are those what are called borer bees? Those might be the source of the
strange noise you were hearing in your garden, perhaps? I imagine
they'd still pollinate plants and I *think* - not sure - that only the
females sting. Mind you, by the time you've got close enough to see
which is male and which is female you might - or might not - have been
stung!
--
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
Exotic plants, shrubs & perennials
South Devon

"Broadback" wrote in message
...
All my fruit trees have abundant blossom this year, great, thought I.
However I was down by an apple tree this morning, warm, sunny little wind.
The abundant blossom was fully open, but now sight nor sound of bees,
would not it have been normal for the bees to be bust setting my apples?
--
Please reply to group,emails to designated
address are never read.


Hi, your post reminded me of the split trunk damage to your Cox's Orange
apple tree. My RHS guide says that stems with split bark can be caused by
frost damage and irregular growth due to faulty root action. Both cause
longitudinal splitting of the bark. Affected shoots may show discoloured
foliage, or die back. It suggests cleaning the wound by cutting out any
rotten tissue. Remove any dead wood. Then remedy (by watering and
mulching, or draining, as necessary. Then feed.

Since your tree's damage is on the trunk, you can't easily cut it out!, but
perhaps you can clean it up and sterilise it in some way, or use a pruning
paint.

How is the tree? Is it coping with the damage?

Spider

"Broadback" wrote
All my fruit trees have abundant blossom this year, great, thought I.
However I was down by an apple tree this morning, warm, sunny little wind.
The abundant blossom was fully open, but now sight nor sound of bees,
would not it have been normal for the bees to be bust setting my apples?

Funny you should mention that but we had left our old brassicas (sprouts,
cabbages, swedes and kale) we hadn't used and they had all gone to flower
last week. I was worried about getting stung when we cleared them but
thousands of little yellow flowers and not one bee. Worrying for our
bean/pea crop later. Lets hope our Council finally allows one of our plot
holders his bee hives.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
just W. of London

All my fruit trees have abundant blossom this year, great, thought I.
However I was down by an apple tree this morning, warm, sunny little
wind. The abundant blossom was fully open, but now sight nor sound of
bees, would not it have been normal for the bees to be bust setting my
apples?

Should be but as you know bees are in short supply and deep trouble. Do
you know of a local apiarist who would like to put a hive in your orchard?
They'd probably be grateful of the space and you'd be glad of the bees.

The lack of bees is very worrying. I was watching a solitary bumble bee
yesterday which was the only insect on a massive Berberis Darwinii in full
flower. A few years ago I would have been deafened by the number of bees on
that bush.

Spider wrote:
"Broadback" wrote in message
...
All my fruit trees have abundant blossom this year, great, thought I.
However I was down by an apple tree this morning, warm, sunny little wind.
The abundant blossom was fully open, but now sight nor sound of bees,
would not it have been normal for the bees to be bust setting my apples?
--
Please reply to group,emails to designated
address are never read.


Hi, your post reminded me of the split trunk damage to your Cox's Orange
apple tree. My RHS guide says that stems with split bark can be caused by
frost damage and irregular growth due to faulty root action. Both cause
longitudinal splitting of the bark. Affected shoots may show discoloured
foliage, or die back. It suggests cleaning the wound by cutting out any
rotten tissue. Remove any dead wood. Then remedy (by watering and
mulching, or draining, as necessary. Then feed.

Since your tree's damage is on the trunk, you can't easily cut it out!, but
perhaps you can clean it up and sterilise it in some way, or use a pruning
paint.

How is the tree? Is it coping with the damage?

Spider


Thanks spider, actually I contacted the chap who sold it to me. The fact
that is is on the Southern aspect of the tree makes him virtual certain
that it is frost damaged, caused when a good freezing thaws quickly. He
also says that it will not harm the tree.

--
Please reply to group,emails to designated
address are never read.

"Broadback" wrote in message
...
Spider wrote:
"Broadback" wrote in message
...
All my fruit trees have abundant blossom this year, great, thought I.
However I was down by an apple tree this morning, warm, sunny little
wind. The abundant blossom was fully open, but now sight nor sound of
bees, would not it have been normal for the bees to be bust setting my
apples?
--
Please reply to group,emails to designated
address are never read.


Hi, your post reminded me of the split trunk damage to your Cox's Orange
apple tree. My RHS guide says that stems with split bark can be caused
by frost damage and irregular growth due to faulty root action. Both
cause longitudinal splitting of the bark. Affected shoots may show
discoloured foliage, or die back. It suggests cleaning the wound by
cutting out any rotten tissue. Remove any dead wood. Then remedy (by
watering and mulching, or draining, as necessary. Then feed.

Since your tree's damage is on the trunk, you can't easily cut it out!,
but perhaps you can clean it up and sterilise it in some way, or use a
pruning paint.

How is the tree? Is it coping with the damage?

Spider
Thanks spider, actually I contacted the chap who sold it to me. The fact
that is is on the Southern aspect of the tree makes him virtual certain
that it is frost damaged, caused when a good freezing thaws quickly. He
also says that it will not harm the tree.

--
Please reply to group,emails to designated
address are never read.

"Spider" wrote in message
...

"Broadback" wrote in message
...
Spider wrote:
"Broadback" wrote in message
...
All my fruit trees have abundant blossom this year, great, thought I.
However I was down by an apple tree this morning, warm, sunny little
wind. The abundant blossom was fully open, but now sight nor sound of
bees, would not it have been normal for the bees to be bust setting my
apples?
--
Please reply to group,emails to designated
address are never read.


Hi, your post reminded me of the split trunk damage to your Cox's
Orange apple tree. My RHS guide says that stems with split bark can be
caused by frost damage and irregular growth due to faulty root action.
Both cause longitudinal splitting of the bark. Affected shoots may show
discoloured foliage, or die back. It suggests cleaning the wound by
cutting out any rotten tissue. Remove any dead wood. Then remedy (by
watering and mulching, or draining, as necessary. Then feed.

Since your tree's damage is on the trunk, you can't easily cut it out!,
but perhaps you can clean it up and sterilise it in some way, or use a
pruning paint.

How is the tree? Is it coping with the damage?

Spider
Thanks spider, actually I contacted the chap who sold it to me. The fact
that is is on the Southern aspect of the tree makes him virtual certain
that it is frost damaged, caused when a good freezing thaws quickly. He
also says that it will not harm the tree.

--
Please reply to group,emails to designated
address are never read.


That's good news :~). Pleased to hear it.

Spider

Broadback wrote:

All my fruit trees have abundant blossom this year, great, thought I.
However I was down by an apple tree this morning, warm, sunny little
wind. The abundant blossom was fully open, but now sight nor sound of
bees, would not it have been normal for the bees to be bust setting my
apples?

I'm experiencing the same thing and it is worrying. I know so little
about these things when it comes down to it. It seems to me that when
the flowers first open the stamens are a creamy yellow and when they've
been sufficiently visited by pollinators they turn orange/brown. On that
basis it looks as though my trees *are* being visited, but slowly.
There's one early apple (George Cave) which seems not to have set any
fruit at all but I have hopes for some of the others.

Do you live in a rural area or in town? Where I am in SW Wales there are
still a fair amount of wild bees and other flying creatures. It does
seem, though, that bees tend to stick to certain plants and ignore
others. My gooseberries had loads of bees around them and so does a
cotoneaster right now, but only one or two around the apples. It says
something when in an area like mine, where there is ample habitat,
bio-diversity, no pesticide use or monoculture, the honey bee is
nonetheless in crisis. Of course, the government has cut the funding for
research and apiary management, just in time.

brian mitchell

Brian Mitchell writes
It seems to me that when the flowers first open the stamens are a
creamy yellow and when they've been sufficiently visited by pollinators
they turn orange/brown

But is that a result of being visited by pollinators or is that simply
an ageing thing?

For example, my hippeastrum anthers start long and closed up, they
split open and curl back to reveal the pollen, which steadily gets
darker and duller yellow in colour, then finally the stigma curls back
towards the anthers to effet self-pollination - ie the colour change
happens even though the (indoor) hippeastrum hasn't been pollinated.

--
Kay

K writes:

It seems to me that when the flowers first open the stamens are a
creamy yellow and when they've been sufficiently visited by pollinators
they turn orange/brown

But is that a result of being visited by pollinators or is that simply
an ageing thing?

I don't know for sure, but looking again I see that a number of flowers
have a mix of lighter and darker coloured stamens (is that the right
term?) which suggests to me that something other than time must have had
an effect on the darker ones. In addition, where a flower has been
successfully pollinated, indicated by fallen petals and swelling of the
stem behind, the still-attached stamens all have the dark colouring. I
realise I may be confusing correlation with causation here but one has
to clutch at whichever straws are available.

brian mitchell writes

I don't know for sure, but looking again I see that a number of flowers
have a mix of lighter and darker coloured stamens (is that the right
term?)

The stamen is the whole thing, the anther's the bit at the top that
holds the pollen, and the filament is the stem that supports the anther.

The female bit of the flower is the style and stigma
--
Kay