Garden Q&A: When stress makes apple trees drop fruit too soon

Whether you're a gardening beginner or expert, Irish Examiner columnist Peter Dowdall has the answer to your questions    

It is worth thinning overcrowded fruit, as a tree carrying too much fruit is more likely to shed some under stress. File picture

Question

My apple tree is dropping lots of fruit. These apples are tiny; they look fine but are too small and not even nearly ripe. What is causing it?

Answer

Apple trees often drop fruit as a stress response. This can happen naturally in early summer, when the tree sheds fruit it cannot support, but if branches are dropping more fruit than usual now, July’s very high temperatures and dry weather are the most likely reason. 

When soil becomes dry, the tree prioritises survival over carrying a heavy crop. Fruit may yellow, shrink slightly, or fall before ripening.

Do not panic; water young or recently planted trees deeply, not little and often, and mulch around the base to help hold moisture. 

Keep mulch away from the trunk. Established trees usually recover once conditions improve. It is also worth thinning overcrowded fruit in future years, as a tree carrying too much fruit is more likely to shed some under stress.

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