We have a four year old fruit tree that has several varieties of fruit branches grafted to the trunk. Got it at Home Depot, called a "Fruit Cocktail Tree". It has produced nice Peaches, Nectarines, Plums and apricots in previous years. It is now about 7 - 8 feet tall and in good condition. Some minor insect damage to leaves, but otherwise quite healthy. This year, about 45 days ago, it was beginning to produce plums as well as other fruits. One morning all the fruit, both mature and developing - about 15 pieces - had vanished overnight. We have an six foot tall chain link fence enclosed garden and outside dogs that patrol the area. Unlikely any animals caused this, but possible. We thought, maybe raccoons. But no damage, no claw marks on the trunk. The ground around it is hard, so tracks not visible. Been waiting and hoping the fruit would grow back, since the tree produced well in other years. But no flowering, no buds, nothing. Could it be ants? Don't see any mounds, but we have a few ants around here. The only thing we have done differently this year is a little less watering and we did stick some Jobe's Fruit Tree spikes in the ground, using the manufacturer's directions. There is some apparently old trunk damage at the ground. See Pictures. What could we use to help repair it?
Seems unlikely. Have seen no, absolutely no, sign (scat, tracks, etc). Our German Shepherd and Shepherd-Rottweiler would have gone crazy! And I don't think that deer would eat the flowers. A real mystery!
After reading the below and similar, suggest Squirrels...? http://www.gardenersworld.com/forum/fruit-andamp-veg/something-has-taken-all-my-apples/4922.html The second poster makes a good point: squirrels eat the young fruit because it is cheek-pouch-sized! Or, to use the candy bar term---'Fun-Sized'.
I've found that squirrels, especially the young ones, will take immature fruit and try to eat it, usually dropping it after not finding any edible seeds. This is more of a problem in years when the squirrels' breeding success is better than usual; so the amount of such damage varies from year to year.
Hmm, squirrels. I guess it's possible. Since we only have this one tree and little experience with fruit trees, a couple of questions. 1. Do they only blossom once? Early spring and then produce fruit without blossoming again? 2. Do they produce one set of fruit and then quit? Or do they produce for a period of time? Last year it seems it produced for a long time. Remember it produces peaches, nectarines, apricots and plums. Seems like these came at different times. 3. Is it possible that our tree is still producing and the squirrels immediately eat the immature fruit as tiny nodules form? We don't see anything growing, but the leaves. Nothing, Zero. Nada. If it still could be producing and they are eating the very immature fruit, I could set some live traps and see what I get. I could also sprinkle some "Small Animal Deterrent" around the base of the tree. Or should I just forget it and wait for next year? Thanks, Bill
If you live in Atlanta, your mixed fruit tree should have bloomed in March and/or April, maybe even earlier. You only get one crack at flowering in the spring; it won't bloom again, except for the occasional late blossom that won't get pollinated.
Thanks. Appologies for the newbie questions, but we all gotta start somewhere! The tree should be continuing to produce, shouldn't it? I put some black stuff on the lower trunk damage. Made for tree pruning. Added some water crystals to hold water, underground -it has been a bit hot and dry here in Atlanta - and a bit of fertilizer. Hoping to see something. Will check Home Depot for insecticides for fruit trees and see if I can stop whatever is eating the leaves. Looks like snails, but I don't see any.
Dumping chemicals won't solve the problem, just saying. :) All the fruit gone overnight you say? Could be some pesky humans, if it were ripe.
Fruit was not ripe. We live in a fenced compound with big dogs that like to patrol at night. Not likely humans would get around unnoticed. Very mysterious as to what happened, but I am sure there is an explanation. We also have a nearby vegetable garden this is untouched.
A grafted tree? Could just be some kind of issue with the tree itself or its environment, hard to tell with such a tree.
Have had it four years, now. It has always borne fruit before. There is no evidence of it even trying to produce fruit. I was eating the plums as they ripened when going for my morning walk. Then, suddenly, everything vanished. But it was all unripe fruit. Guess I will wait and hope for better next year.
Do you think this part of your post: "The only thing we have done differently this year is a little less watering and we did stick some Jobe's Fruit Tree spikes" could have anything to do with it? Fruit trees need LOTS of water to produce and any kind of chemical fertilizer (I don't know what that product is) is bad in my perspective.
The main problem with fertilizer spikes is the fertilizer is concentrated into a spike instead of being broadcast over the entire rooting area. So when these are bought the purchaser has ironically paid extra to have the spike made out of a granular product that was previously in the preferred condition which allowed it to be broadcasted. You do not need to place granular fertilizer beneath the soil surface. If you want to keep it moist after application apply a mulch afterward.
This makes sense, even with the glowing reviews on the Jobe Fruit Tree Spikes. I also did not know the fertilizer could be spread on the surface. Would you suggest a light amount, out to the drip edge?
