Very early apples this year?

[Emilygilmoreshandbag]

Are anyone else’s apples seeming ripe (albeit a bit small)? We have several trees, one of which smells so sweet and is attracting loads of wasps, and others where I gave a couple of apples the slightest twist and they came off.
I think the ones that are sort of ready are Bramleys and Lady Sudeley, both of which are usually ready early September, so they are basically a month early. That said, I’ve got loads of brambles that are edible now too, so perhaps it is just an earlier harvest this year.

We do have some very small but ripe-looking apples. But it's a totally new garden for us, so I wasn't sure what to expect this year!

Definitely earlier apples, plums and blackberries here.

Blackberries yes. But my apples are usually earlyish ripening (August rather than September) and are still small and white pipped so not ready yet. Im chucking water at the roots in case they need it

Mine are white pipped at the moment too which normally would have me thinking they aren’t ready. It’s just so odd how easily they are coming off and the smell. Have just frozen a couple of kilos of brambles and tomorrow will be picking some ripe bullaces that I have found. It’s a funny August already!

Yep. The horse chestnuts are advanced too and I have never seen so many berries on the Holly.

Just adding, we are in Surrey and have a couple of vines. Heavier with fruit than I have ever seen before.

Potentially a very hard winter ahead.

Ours is absolutely laded with apples. We also have huge numbers of pears and plums too !

Nothing on my fruit trees. I think we’re doing something wrong. Please tell me the important things to do to get them to fruit at all.

I agree with your comment re blackberries being early. I couldn't believe we had ripe fruit over 2 weeks ago

I have a Cox's Pippin against the house wall which is always the first to ripen. I've been eating some for probably a week or two now. The pips are brown. I haven't tried any of the others yet.

My greengage tree was laden with fruit - a first - but TB Floris has reduced the load somewhat.

Yes I’m no gardener but we have loads of Bramleys

some are better than others but I’ve managed to use some and give some away

Could be any number of things.

Some apples (and other fruit?) only produce fruit every other year.

Some fruit trees need another fruit tree of the same general type (apple, plum , pear etc) that flowers at the same time to pollinate their blossom. If you just have one of each type that could well be your issue. The solution might be more trees!

Otherwise, maybe fertilise them in spring, make sure they have enough water, prune them (there are videos on youtube). If they look healthy enough, they probably are.

I envy you your apples! I don’t live in the UK and it’s hard to find Cox’s in shops here. How long before a tree starts to fruit?

Good question @Gouache , I couldn't honestly say. I've seen them in the garden centre with fruit on them but they're quite pricey. I tend to go for younger trees as they're quicker to establish. Thinking about it the latet James Grieve I planted a year or two back was a year old and it has an apple. There might be more but it's in a cage to protect it from bloody deer so not too easy to see.

I hope you can get a tree that you like, there's nothing like walking round the garden eating the fruits of your tree's labour 😋

I had my first from the Discovery apple tree, and that's a good 3 weeks early.

Definitely! And so many we’ve had to prop up some branches so they don’t snap from the weight! Never seen anything like it in the 25 years we’ve been here!

My apples do look red but from past experience won't be ripe. By sept they will have mainly come off the tree, knocked off by birds.

Our discovery apples are, we’ve been eating them already. Not massive but red & sweet and it’s a young tree so wasn’t sure how big they’ll get.

Depends on fruit type and rootstock. Absolute minimum of 3 years. Most apples start to get going around 5 years. Plums can be closer to 10. Quinces 10 plus. Irish strawberry tree about 50 years.