Why are all the apples falling from my apple tree?

In compote, jam, jelly or natural, apples are the queen of our orchards. Eagerly awaited, they are harvested, depending on the variety, from July to October. Unfortunately, some years the fruit falls prematurely.

The traditional "June fall"

Novice gardeners are sometimes alarmed when, in June, the ground beneath their apple tree is studded with small, immature apples. Most of the time, this is a phenomenon of natural selection. Fortunately, not all April blossoms turn into ripe apples, otherwise the tree wouldn't stand up to the weight. This is why some gardeners thin out their trees after flowering. In general, they only keep about ten fruits per metre of branch. This avoids overloading the tree and allows them to keep the apples with the most potential.

Beware of poor pollination

The stages of fertile pollination involve the transport, germination of the pollen and fertilisation of the ovule. If these successive phases proceed correctly then the fruit has a better chance of "hanging on" properly. There are many reasons for poor pollination: lack of pollinating insects in the orchard, late frosts, too much rain, etc. To give yourself the best chance of success, you should invite bees and bumblebees to visit your fruit trees. To be on the safe side, avoid plant protection products, favour nectar-producing plants and, why not, install an insect hotel.

Make sure you water well

During dry seasons, the same phenomenon can occur again, but this time with all the fruit on the tree. The lack of water, sometimes added to strong winds, causes the fruit to fall before its time. Some people, having carefully watered their trees, are surprised by this cause. If the soil is very dry, the water has not penetrated deep down to the tree's roots and so has little effect on fruit growth. It is preferable to water less, but deeply and in large quantities.

Precautions to take

Growing an apple or pear tree requires a few precautions. To prevent your fruit from falling too early and enjoy an abundant harvest, you should therefore invite pollinating insects into your garden, thin out the apples during the spring and water your tree abundantly, especially if it is still young, taking care to reach the roots. A good mulch will slow down the drying out process.