Apple flowers require cross pollination from another apple tree for fruit set to occur. Bees are the primary pollinators of apple trees. Growing fruits in the home orchard takes work and patience.
So, when trees fail to bear, despite all the gardener’s work, it’s very disappointing. If your harvest is looking less than ideal this year, there are several reasons trees fail to set fruit and produce a good crop. Temperatures below freezing won’t harm fully dormant plants or their flower buds.
Buds gradually lose winter hardiness as they develop and can be damaged even before visible flowers are present. Below are the spring temperatures, and the corresponding level of damage to expect, for the most common tree fruits grown in Nebraska. The first pink or white bud stage occurs when color can first be seen in the flower buds.
• Apple, first pink bud stage, 10% kill at 28 degrees, 90% kill at 24 degrees • Tart cherry, first pink bud stage, 10% kill at 28 degrees, 90% kill at 24 degrees • Sweet cherry, first white bud stage, 10% kill at 27 degrees, 90% kill at 24 degrees • European plum, first white bud stage, 10% kill at 26 degrees, 90% kill at 22 degrees • Pear, first white bud stage, 10% kill at 25 degrees, 90% kill at 19 degrees • Peach, first pink bud stage, 10% kill at 25 degrees, 90% kill at 15 degrees To avoid damage from normal spring frosts, select late blooming fruit tree cultivars with winter hardiness to Zone 5. Locating trees on north facing slopes, w.