Despite the strange weather this year, the apple tree (unknown variety
of eater, but looks to be 40 or 50 years old) is covered in apples. So
much so that I've had to prop up one of the branches which is touching
the ground. And that is after the June drop and thinning out! I'm
wondering what will happen as we finally got some rain yesterday - 30 mm
- and no doubt the apples will swell and add even more weight to the branch.

Looks like a decent crop of plums, too. Actually, I'm not sure what they
are, as they are around the size of a damson, but a lighter burgundy-red
colour. I thought the tree was just ornamental, as it has attractive
purple-bronze leaves, and flowers fairly early. We've been here three
years, and this tree, which is, I guess, as old as the apple tree, only
had a couple of dozen fruits last year, and none the first year.

Anyone else getting a good crop of top fruit?

--

Jeff

On Sun, 26 Jul 2015 08:49:52 Jeff Layman wrote:

Despite the strange weather this year, the apple tree (unknown variety
of eater, but looks to be 40 or 50 years old) is covered in apples. So
much so that I've had to prop up one of the branches which is touching
the ground. And that is after the June drop and thinning out! I'm
wondering what will happen as we finally got some rain yesterday - 30
mm - and no doubt the apples will swell and add even more weight to the
branch.

Looks like a decent crop of plums, too. Actually, I'm not sure what
they are, as they are around the size of a damson, but a lighter
burgundy-red colour. I thought the tree was just ornamental, as it has
attractive purple-bronze leaves, and flowers fairly early. We've been
here three years, and this tree, which is, I guess, as old as the apple
tree, only had a couple of dozen fruits last year, and none the first year.

Anyone else getting a good crop of top fruit?

Apples, plums, and even grapes if they don't succumb to mildew. Good job
I've bought a new grape crusher/destemmer!

And my pommes de juillet in Normandy were already ripening in June.

David

--
David Rance writing from Caversham, Reading, UK

"Jeff Layman" wrote in message
...
Despite the strange weather this year, the apple tree (unknown variety of eater, but
looks to be 40 or 50 years old) is covered in apples.

Snip

Anyone else getting a good crop of top fruit?

From the land of 'no summer', virtually no apples this year and a friend
in Dornoch's apples trees are just in bloom. Cherries pollinated well
but all have dropped off with the recent frosts. Good crop of strawberries
but they are inedible (dark red but hard and sour). The apricots (in the
greenhouse) gave a good crop but no sweetness or flavour due to lack
of sun - the nectarines will probably be the same.

The one good thing about gardening is that there is always next year!!!

Phil
Northern Highlands of Scotland

"Jeff Layman" wrote

Despite the strange weather this year, the apple tree (unknown variety of
eater, but looks to be 40 or 50 years old) is covered in apples. So much so
that I've had to prop up one of the branches which is touching the ground.
And that is after the June drop and thinning out! I'm wondering what will
happen as we finally got some rain yesterday - 30 mm - and no doubt the
apples will swell and add even more weight to the branch.

Looks like a decent crop of plums, too. Actually, I'm not sure what they
are, as they are around the size of a damson, but a lighter burgundy-red
colour. I thought the tree was just ornamental, as it has attractive
purple-bronze leaves, and flowers fairly early. We've been here three
years, and this tree, which is, I guess, as old as the apple tree, only had
a couple of dozen fruits last year, and none the first year.

Anyone else getting a good crop of top fruit?

Regarding the small plums, they probably are ornamental but effectively the
same as what the French call Mirabelles and they do make superb plum jam.
Just a pain getting all the stones out but well worth it.
We used to forage for them in the hedgerows etc., you can tell where they
were by the plums on the ground, and they make superb jam especially the
slightly red ones. Did find one tree where they were very dark red.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirabelle_plum

--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK

On 26/07/15 10:07, philgurr wrote:
"Jeff Layman" wrote in message
...
Despite the strange weather this year, the apple tree (unknown variety of eater, but
looks to be 40 or 50 years old) is covered in apples.

Snip

Anyone else getting a good crop of top fruit?

From the land of 'no summer', virtually no apples this year and a friend
in Dornoch's apples trees are just in bloom. Cherries pollinated well
but all have dropped off with the recent frosts. Good crop of strawberries
but they are inedible (dark red but hard and sour). The apricots (in the
greenhouse) gave a good crop but no sweetness or flavour due to lack
of sun - the nectarines will probably be the same.

The one good thing about gardening is that there is always next year!!!

Phil
Northern Highlands of Scotland

Looks like the only think you're getting a glut of is punishment! Still,
10/10 for trying in such difficult gardening conditions. FWIW, the
strawberries have been hopeless down here too. They started off very
well with a few delicious fruits a month ago, then the weather changed
and that was that. They've started fruiting again, but I wonder what
they'll be like and how long it will last.

--

Jeff

On 26/07/2015 10:07, philgurr wrote:


Cherries pollinated well
but all have dropped off with the recent frosts.

SE Essex - I didn't pick too much of my bumper crop of cherries. They
didn't swell up before ripening very fast. Then rot set in within a day
or two. The blackbird(s) pinched a few of the early ripening crop but
even they gave up quite quickly. In previous years they would have
pinched the whole crop given the chance.


--
mailto: news {at} admac {dot] myzen {dot} co {dot} uk

"Jeff Layman" wrote in message
...
Despite the strange weather this year, the apple tree (unknown variety of
eater, but looks to be 40 or 50 years old) is covered in apples. So much
so that I've had to prop up one of the branches which is touching the
ground. And that is after the June drop and thinning out! I'm wondering
what will happen as we finally got some rain yesterday - 30 mm - and no
doubt the apples will swell and add even more weight to the branch.

Looks like a decent crop of plums, too. Actually, I'm not sure what they
are, as they are around the size of a damson, but a lighter burgundy-red
colour. I thought the tree was just ornamental, as it has attractive
purple-bronze leaves, and flowers fairly early. We've been here three
years, and this tree, which is, I guess, as old as the apple tree, only
had a couple of dozen fruits last year, and none the first year.

Anyone else getting a good crop of top fruit?

--

Jeff

My apple trees look to have plenty of fruit on, but damsons and plums not
so. Looks like no damson gin for Christmas this year.

Tina

On Sun, 26 Jul 2015 08:49:52 +0100, Jeff Layman wrote:

Anyone else getting a good crop of top fruit?

Glad to hear you'll have apples, Jeff. We had almost none last year, but
this year looks quite good, depending on which variety. Reine de Renette
and Fuji are bursting with fruit, Reinette Blanche d'Espagne and Boskoop
are decent but not exactly a bumper crop. Time will tell how they turn
out, because it really is dry as can be. Thanks be we had a little rain
today but only around 10mm.

Otherwise cherries were very good with many kgs picked, eaten and put
up. I think we have about 10 pies in the freezer. Big crop of peaches
but unless it rains they will be bitter, good only for preserves. We had
quite a few red currants with little crops of cassis, raspberries,
tayberries and loganberries, along with maybe a couple of pounds of
gooseberries. Adele made the whole thing into multi-berry jelly which is
excellent.

No plums or damsons which is really unusual. No pears (well a few that
made it past the drop) which is less unusual. Looks like a decent
hazelnut crop, but no walnuts. Again.




--
Gardening in Lower Normandy

In article ,
lid says...

Anyone else getting a good crop of top fruit?

No fruit trees here, but the berries are doing well. Started a
bit late this year, but now all the redcurrants picked (about
the same quantity as last year), blackcurrants are ripening
quickly, but are covered with ants which makes for very
unpleasant picking! Loganberries are in full flight, picking
abour 1 1/2 lbs every other day (rain permitting). Raspberries
disapointing - canes really need replacing 20 years old. Summer
fruiting ones very poor, and autumn fruiting are just starting,
but canes have only grown to about half the height of normal.

--
Roger T

700 ft up in Mid-Wales

"Emery Davis" wrote in message
...
:

No plums or damsons which is really unusual.

Same here

On Sun, 26 Jul 2015 16:21:18 Emery Davis wrote:

No plums or damsons which is really unusual.

I'm just down the road from you and my plums are doing well. I've even
got damsons on a tree that hasn't fruited for a few years.

David

--
David Rance writing from Caversham, Reading, UK

On Tue, 28 Jul 2015 08:32:33 +0100, David Rance wrote:

On Sun, 26 Jul 2015 16:21:18 Emery Davis wrote:

No plums or damsons which is really unusual.

I'm just down the road from you and my plums are doing well. I've even
got damsons on a tree that hasn't fruited for a few years.


Glad you've got some -- question of microclimates I suppose. Trees in
the village seem to have plenty of plums, too.



--
Gardening in Lower Normandy

On 28/07/15 13:35, Emery Davis wrote:
On Tue, 28 Jul 2015 08:32:33 +0100, David Rance wrote:

On Sun, 26 Jul 2015 16:21:18 Emery Davis wrote:

No plums or damsons which is really unusual.

I'm just down the road from you and my plums are doing well. I've even
got damsons on a tree that hasn't fruited for a few years.


Glad you've got some -- question of microclimates I suppose. Trees in
the village seem to have plenty of plums, too.

You wouldn't have time to eat plums with all that other fruit cropping
well! But it is strange how some trees crop really well, but others not
far away are almost bare of fruit. I guess you are right that it could
be a microclimate effect when the plants are in blossom - maybe
fractions of a degree are enough to stop fertilisation.

--

Jeff

On Wed, 29 Jul 2015 08:36:50 +0100,
Jeff Layman wrote:
On 28/07/15 13:35, Emery Davis wrote:
On Tue, 28 Jul 2015 08:32:33 +0100, David Rance wrote:

On Sun, 26 Jul 2015 16:21:18 Emery Davis wrote:

No plums or damsons which is really unusual.

I'm just down the road from you and my plums are doing well. I've even
got damsons on a tree that hasn't fruited for a few years.


Glad you've got some -- question of microclimates I suppose. Trees in
the village seem to have plenty of plums, too.

You wouldn't have time to eat plums with all that other fruit cropping
well! But it is strange how some trees crop really well, but others not
far away are almost bare of fruit. I guess you are right that it could
be a microclimate effect when the plants are in blossom - maybe
fractions of a degree are enough to stop fertilisation.

Talking about microclimates.

I can tell you that we've had all our apples, prunes and pears in
flowers when a sequence of about three nights of frost thwarted all our
hopes, this spring. We are left with one « Reinette d'Armorique » which
developped fruit despite the adverse conditions, as well a young quince.

People who live five kilometers from here did not experience the same
late frost. Our friend and neighbour, who marchandises apples on a grand
scale, still talks of a promising year. He has recently replaced his
« Délices d'Or » by « Melrose ». Our own Melrose has also been a victim of
the frost, the same as our « Reine de Reinette » and the Boscop, both
varieties that continued to blossom and will produce fruit in the other
orchard.

The mean temperature between our hamlet and a village at about 7 km „on
the other side of the forest“ differ by two degrees. For the „locals“, I
talk about L'Hermitage, between St. Patrice du Désert and
Lignières-Orgères (that's us) and the nearby village
Saint-Ouen-Le-Brisoult (family).

.... and we've lit our oven today.

Michael
--
Location: Lower Normandy (Orne), France
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sub 4096R/2751C550 2013-11-15 [expires: 2015-11-15]
[Next key will use elliptic-curve algorithm! :-) Get GnuPG!!]

On Thu, 30 Jul 2015 00:22:57 +0200, Michael Uplawski wrote:

... and we've lit our oven today.

We did the same last night, it was around 15 in the house.

You can come get some apples later if you need some!

-E



--
Gardening in Lower Normandy