A fruit garden that is not working is a puzzle, and the puzzle is usually simpler than it looks. A tree that flowers but sets no fruit, a tree that drops its fruit in June, a bush whose leaves yellow, a vine that grows leaves and no grapes — each of these has a short list of likely causes, and working through them in order will find the answer in most cases. The trick is to look before you act: a tree that is not fruiting because it has no pollination partner will not be fixed by feeding it, and a tree that is dropping fruit because it is short of water will not be fixed by spraying it.
Start with the basics, every time: is the plant getting enough sun, enough water, and the right soil? Is it old enough to fruit? Is it the right variety for your climate? Was there a late frost when it was in flower? Those five questions answer most fruit problems, and they are worth asking before you reach for a fertiliser or a spray. Keep a notebook of what you see and when — the date the blossom opened, the week the fruit dropped, the colour of the leaves — because the pattern over a season is the diagnosis.
This guide works through the commonest fruit problems, one at a time, with the likely causes and the fixes. If a problem does not fit any of these, or if several plants are affected at once, check your local extension service — a local diagnosis is worth more than a general guide. If you are unsure about a variety, a spray, or a diagnosis, check your local extension service — its advice is matched to your climate and soil.
No flowers, or flowers but no fruit
A fruit tree that does not flower is usually too young, too shaded, overfed with nitrogen, or pruned too hard. A young apple or pear may take three to five years to flower, and a seedling tree may take ten — patience is the cure, and removing fruit in the first years helps the tree mature. A tree in shade will grow leaves and little flower, and the cure is to move it or to open up the shade. A tree fed heavily with nitrogen grows soft, leafy shoots and little flower, and the cure is to stop feeding and to feed with potash instead. A tree pruned hard every winter responds with vigorous leafy regrowth and little flower, and the cure is to prune lightly. A tree that flowers but sets no fruit usually has a pollination problem: no second variety nearby, a late frost that killed the blossom, or no bees because the weather was cold and wet when it flowered, or because something was sprayed in flower. Check the variety's pollination needs — most apples, pears, plums and sweet cherries need a second variety — and check whether the blossom survived the spring. Our growing guides for apples cover the pollination needs of the common fruits.
Fruit drop: why the young fruit falls in June
A tree that drops its young fruit in early summer is usually doing something normal, and the question is how much it drops. A healthy tree sets far more fruit than it can ripen, and it sheds the excess in the June drop — small, unripe fruit falling in early summer is the tree thinning itself, and it is a sign the tree is working, not failing. But a tree that drops most or all of its fruit has a problem: drought is the commonest cause, because a tree short of water sheds fruit to survive, and the cure is deep watering and mulch. A tree carrying too much fruit will drop the excess, and the cure is to thin the fruit yourself, early, so the tree keeps what it can ripen. A tree damaged by frost at flowering will set fruit that drops early, and there is no cure for that year — the cure is frost protection next spring. Codling moth damage makes apples drop early too, and the fallen fruit will have a hole or a tunnel in it — pick it up daily, because the caterpillar inside will breed next year's moths. If the fruit drops and the leaves look healthy and the soil is moist, the tree is probably just thinning itself, and you should let it.
Small fruit, poor flavour and biennial bearing
Small fruit usually means too much fruit, too little water, or too little sun. Thin the fruit hard — one apple per cluster, peaches a hand's width apart — water deeply while the fruit is swelling, and prune so the sun reaches the fruit, and the fruit will be larger next year. Poor flavour usually means too little sun, too much water as the fruit ripens, or picking too early: let the fruit ripen fully, ease off the water as it ripens, and make sure the tree is in full sun. Biennial bearing is the pattern where a tree crops heavily one year and barely at all the next, and it is caused by a heavy crop exhausting the tree so it sets few flower buds for the following year. The cure is thinning: thin the fruit every year, in the heavy year most of all, so the tree never carries more than it can ripen and still set flower buds. It takes two or three years of thinning to break the cycle, but it works, and a tree thinned every year crops reliably every year.
Yellow leaves, wilting and poor growth
Yellow leaves have many causes, and the pattern tells you which. Leaves that yellow all over, with weak, thin growth, usually mean the plant is short of nitrogen or water, and a spring feed of compost and deep watering will help. Leaves that yellow between green veins usually mean iron deficiency, and in blueberries that almost always means the soil is too alkaline — check the pH before adding iron. Leaves that yellow and drop in summer can mean drought, waterlogging or disease, and you need to check the soil: if it is dry, water; if it is wet and smells sour, the roots are waterlogged and you should stop watering and improve the drainage. Wilting in the afternoon that recovers by morning is usually heat and the plant coping; wilting that does not recover by morning is a serious sign — check the soil, and if it is moist, the roots may be damaged by rot or by vine weevil grubs. Poor growth with no obvious cause can mean the plant is planted too deep, the roots are circling in the pot, or the soil is compacted — lift the mulch and look. The plant disease checker can help rule out disease.
Pests and diseases: a quick diagnosis
Holes in the fruit with a caterpillar inside usually mean codling moth in apples or plum fruit moth in plums — pick up fallen fruit daily and hang a pheromone trap next year. Curled leaves with aphids underneath mean aphids — wash them off with water and wait for the ladybirds. Olive blotches on apple leaves and scabby fruit mean apple scab — rake up fallen leaves in autumn and plant a resistant variety. Brown, rotting fruit that shrivels into a mummy on the tree means brown rot — remove every mummified fruit and thin the crop. White powder on the leaves means powdery mildew — prune for airflow and avoid heavy nitrogen. Blackened shoots bent into a shepherd's crook mean fire blight — cut the wood out well below the damage and destroy it. Birds taking the fruit means you need netting, put on when the fruit colours. If the symptoms do not match any of these, or if the plant is dying fast, the pest identifier helper can help you name the pest, and your extension service can confirm a diagnosis.
A step-by-step diagnosis for any fruit problem
When a fruit plant has a problem, work through these steps in order. First, how old is it, and is it old enough to fruit? Second, what is the sun, the soil and the water — is it in full sun, is the soil right for this fruit, and is it moist but not wet? Third, what happened in spring — was there a late frost, was the weather cold and wet when it flowered, were there bees? Fourth, what do the leaves, the shoots and the fruit look like, and is the pattern spreading or staying put? Fifth, what did you do — did you feed it, spray it, prune it hard, or move it? The answer is usually in one of those five steps. Write down what you find, and what you do about it, and next year you will recognise the problem a week earlier. And if you are stuck, ask: your nursery, your neighbours and your extension service have seen the problem before, and local knowledge is worth more than any book.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my apple tree flower but set no fruit?
Usually a pollination problem — most apples need a second variety flowering at the same time — or a late frost that killed the blossom, or cold, wet weather when bees were not flying. Check the variety's pollination needs.
Why is my fruit tree dropping its fruit in June?
A little drop is normal — the tree thins itself. Heavy drop usually means drought, too much fruit, frost damage at flowering, or codling moth. Water deeply, thin the fruit, and pick up fallen fruit daily.
Why does my apple tree crop heavily one year and barely the next?
That is biennial bearing, caused by a heavy crop exhausting the tree. Thin the fruit every year, especially in the heavy year, and the tree will crop reliably within two or three years.
Why are my blueberry leaves yellow?
Usually the soil is too alkaline. Blueberries need acidic soil, and yellow leaves with green veins mean iron deficiency caused by high pH. Grow them in ericaceous compost and water with rainwater.
My fruit is small and tasteless. What is wrong?
Usually too much fruit, too little water while it swells, too little sun, or picking too early. Thin the fruit, water deeply, make sure the tree is in full sun, and let the fruit ripen fully before picking.
Most fruit problems have a simple cause and a simple fix, and the diagnosis starts with the basics: sun, water, soil, age and the spring weather. Work through them in order, keep a notebook, and ask locally when you are stuck. For the individual fruits, see the growing guides, and for help naming a pest or a disease, use the pest identifier helper and the plant disease checker.