Cox apple tree not fruiting
Tootles
Posts: 1,469
in Fruit & veg
Morning
My cox orange pippin doesn't fruit. It's been in for five years and whilst it does blossom, the fruit doesn't develop. I live just on the border of where cox are recommended to grow.
I'm in two minds as to whether or not to dig it out. Any ideas as to what can be tried to give it one last chance?
thanks
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Cox's Orange Pippin needs a pollination partner from the right group in order to produce f ruit as it's self-sterile ... is there one nearby?
https://www.keepers-nursery.co.uk/searchpolpartner.aspx?id=COXORP
Yep, when I bought the tree the nursery said to buy a James grieves to act as a pollinator. The James greeves produces lots of fruit. It's about 20ft away from the cox.
Hmm ... maybe it's just going to take a bit longer ...
There's some info here which may help https://www.orangepippintrees.co.uk/articles/fruit-tree-age-when-fruiting-begins
Cox is one of the most difficult to grow sucessfully. Why did you buy it if it is just on the edge of a suitable area? Leave it to the professionals; they know all the sprays, etc the Cox will need.
There's helpful WO!!
Cox's Pippins are difficult but tasty and can be used as eaters or cookers so well worth persevering if the OP has the patience. Otherwise, I'd consider finding another partner for the James Grieve and treating the Cox as ornamental for a few years.
How interesting. That's two people with the same advice - buy another, different apple tree.
Coxes are lovely apples.
It's somewhat unhelpful to suggest you just buy another tree, we might just as well suggest you buy all your apples from a shop!
Do both the trees flower at the same time?
Do you often get any frost during or after the tree blossoms?
It might be that there simply aren't any pollinators. It's well documented that our abundant use of pesticides and herbicides has a significant effect on bees. If the answer to the above questions don't identify any problems maybe you could try to pollinate [some of] the tree by hand this year (using your other tree) and see if you get anything that way.
I assumed the OP would do some research first.
Thanks for the pollinating tip, I'll give that a go.
I live on the border of where they can be grown, and not the other side of it! Plus, the garden centre where purchased is actually a specialist nursery and very highly regarded. I did ask their advice before I bought it and was told it would be fine. I've gone back since, and they said five years isn't very old so I should hang on.
I will give it some special care this year. I phoned into our local radio show, and the expert (John Stirland) said to do some root pruning and feed with potash.