Dealing with Barren Trees

One of the most frustrating things that can possibly happen to someone who has
slaved for hours and hours in growing a fruit tree is the unexplainable barrenness
that can sometimes occur when there should be a plethora of fresh fruit. I know
this from experience. My neighbors all consider me the gardening guru because of my
extensive knowledge. But this is only because gardening has been my passion for
years and years, and like a sponge I have accumulated so much information in my
mind. My learning has also come from past experiences with failure. For about 5
years after I started planting fruit trees, I did not see a single fruit for all my
labor. I was nearly ready to give up, until I met who I think is truly the guru of
gardening.

I was in the gardening store, looking for some sort of new fertilizer to put my
hope in for my quest to obtain fruit. I don�t know if there was a look of
desperation in my eyes, but a kindly old man came up and started speaking with me.
He introduced himself as Ralph, and for some reason I opened up to him and told him
about all of my difficulties. I�ve never been the type to spill all my problems on
anyone who asks, but Ralph seemed like such a nice fellow that I just couldn�t help
it. And I�m glad I did, because what he taught me truly helped me to get my fruit
trees in gear and start producing.

I learned that generally, the inability to produce can be caused by a number of

factors. Sometimes the tree is simply too young; If your tree is less than four
years old, you shouldn�t exactly expect it to be producing yet. If it has reached 4
years and you still have seen no sign of fruit, then you should start to consider
other factors that might be causing the barrenness.

If the tree is undergoing any type of water stress (this can be poor drainage, too
much water, or too little water), then it will have trouble growing. If you suspect
this is the case, you should evaluate your own watering techniques and compare them
with the needs of the tree to see if you are causing water stress. Also always be
on the lookout for any diseases or pest damages. If your tree is constantly being
molested by all kinds of little creatures, then you can�t expect it to be lively
enough to produce fruit.

If your tree blooms but still doesn�t produce any fruit, this could be because of
cold temperatures during the bloom. The coldness damaged the flower bud or damaged
the baby fruit. Aesthetically the tree may look fine, but the inside could be
damaged beyond any hope of ever seeing fruit. Unfortunately there isn�t much you
can do in this case except for wait until next year and hope that it doesn�t happen
again.

If the tree�s pollination process has not been fully completed, it could have
troubles growing fruit. If you planted different varieties, you may find that the
requirements are different than you had originally thought and they were
incompatible. In this case you need to replant the correct combinations.

Once I evaluated the conditions of my tree and everything that has occurred in its
life, I realized that not only had I cross pollinated slightly incorrectly, but I
was also giving my tree too much water. After I fixed these problems, I had learned
my lesson and I have not had any trouble bearing fruit since then.

So if you are struggling with a plant that is not being cooperative, you should
consult an expert gardener. If you can find a gardening mentor like mine that is
willing to teach you everything they know, then you should be able to get your
garden on the right track with no problems.

PPPPP
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