Hi, My name is Bridgette I work with a program in which I have received a question about unwanted fruit. Is it possible to blast blossoms with high pressure water to keep fruit from forming? If not, does anyone have any brilliant ideas. I need something that I can give to the public, so that they can keep fruit from forming without having to get rid of their tree.
Pruning at the wrong time, removing the flowers is the only way to stop a plant from fruiting. (possibly a chemical or hormone treatment)
There are products that contain Ethephon that will prevent certain plants from setting fruit if applied at the proper time. Not sure about availability in your area. You may want to check with your local nursery or, if available, extension agent.
Or tell your public to grow up, stop being so selfishly fussy, and enjoy watching the birds and other wildlife that depend on the fruit for their survival!
True to a point, but anyone who has ever had a Crabapple tree covered with invasive introduced Starlings, while mowing their lawn and getting shot in the leg with little crabapple bullets, and hosing off the smashed crabapples off the street and the walkway, picking them out of their container gardens and beds...etc. I think it should be a choice left up to the individual.
My guess is that this is to deter bears from being attracted by the fruit. We had a large apple tree pulled over by a bear who wanted the apple right at the top! For those who do not live in bear country it might be interesting to know that gardeners who do are being dissuaded from growing fruit at all or are being encouraged to pick their fruit very promptly. There is a scheme in Gibsons (home of "The Beachcombers") to get people with fruit trees, which they do not intend to harvest themselves, to allow volunteers to pick for them. The owners are given half of the pickings and the rest goes to the local food bank. Margaret off topic ps. There were 10 eagles circling overhead this morning but I don't think that they were interested in my garden or hopefully our much loved cat!
Thanks for the input everyone, and you are right Margaret I have asked this question because of an issue we want to avoid with bears. AS far as my original question goes though, is it possible to spray off the blossoms with high pressure, would this stop any fruit from forming??
I'd say no, all you may do is blast off the petals and leave the stamen, stigma in place.......the bees might find landing a challenge.............so my answer is no.
Thanks Oscar Thanks Oscar, I will send that message along, and thanks to everyone else for your input. It helps.
Florel Fruit Eliminator will reduce or eliminate undesirable fruit on many trees. Look at: http://www.montereylawngarden.com/info/florel/
Some less than stellar reviews of the Florel Growth Regulator (they've changed the name): Prevention of Undesirable Fruit from Iowa State Eliminating Unwanted Fruit From Trees (scroll down) from Kansas State University.
