It’s nice to have pretty trees on your property that help to make things look as nice as possible. Many people buy fruit trees simply for the purpose of adding aesthetic appeal to the yard.
Crabapple trees are among the most popular trees that people purchase. These trees flower during the spring and they have some of the most gorgeous blossoms that you could ask for.
What if the tree isn’t flowering normally, though? Is there something wrong that is preventing the crabapple tree from flowering?
Continue reading to learn about several reasons why crabapple trees won’t flower. This should help you to figure out what is going on in your situation.
1 – The Tree Might Not Be Old Enough Yet
Have you considered that the crabapple tree on your property might not be old enough to flower yet? If the tree is only a few years old, then it won’t be able to produce fruit or flowers yet.
Crabapple trees need to mature for four or five years. At this point, the trees will be capable of blooming.
So it’s possible that you might need to keep caring for the tree for a few more years. If you care for the tree well, then once it reaches the right age it’ll be ready to bloom.
If you’re looking for instant gratification, then you could buy a mature crabapple tree and have it planted in your yard. Those who are caring for new trees will simply have to wait a bit longer to experience the beautiful blooms that they desire.
2 – The Tree Could Also Be Too Old
Another possibility that you must consider is that the tree might be too old to bloom as it once did. Sadly, crabapple trees can reach an advanced age where they won’t be capable of blooming in the same way that it did before.
It could be that the crabapple tree is blooming, but it’s just not the same. In this case, it means that the best blooming years of the tree are in the past.
This is simply something that will happen as the tree gets older. It isn’t really anything that you need to worry about, but it can be disappointing.
Of course, you shouldn’t count the tree out if you’re not sure that age is what is keeping it from blooming normally. There are other things that could be keeping the tree from flowering as expected that need to be considered.
3 – You’re Not Feeding the Tree Properly
It’s said that you don’t need to give crabapple trees too much fertilizer. There’s still a possibility that you aren’t fertilizing the tree enough, though.
To get good results, it’s recommended to feed your crabapple trees once during the spring for the first five years. This can be done by putting a bit of time-release fertilizer underneath the tree on the ground.
Position the fertilizer out to around eighteen inches past the dripline to get optimal results. Doing this will help the crabapple tree be able to flower when the time is right.
Note that mature trees won’t require any fertilizer. You can still help mature trees by utilizing mulch properly, though.
It’s recommended to add a two to four inches organic mulch layer that will help the tree out. This will ensure that nutrients return to the soil so that your crabapple tree will have everything that it needs to thrive.
4 – Drought and Other Weather Issues
Going through a drought and experiencing other weather issues will have an impact on your crabapple tree. In some cases, it might keep the tree from flowering as expected in the spring.
For instance, experiencing a drought in the autumn has been known to have a negative impact on crabapple trees. A dry period in the autumn might result in the tree producing no flowers in the spring.
There can also be issues when the tree doesn’t have the usual chilling period. If you went through an unseasonably warm winter, then the crabapple tree might not flower since it didn’t get chilled.
Unpredictable weather and weird weather issues might make the crabapple tree flower unusually. The weather can play a huge role in how the flowers turn out during the spring.
You can’t change the weather, but you can try to monitor the tree and give it what it needs. Combat dry periods by watering the tree as necessary.
5 – Improper Sunlight Conditions
Trees need to have a certain amount of sunlight so that they can thrive. Are you sure that you’re giving your crabapple tree enough sun?
Putting the tree in a spot where it receives improper sunlight won’t help it out. These trees are supposed to receive full sunlight, and that means that you won’t get excellent results if you place it in partial shade.
Putting the tree in a location that is too shady might be the reason why it isn’t flowering. If you’re able to move the tree to a better spot, then you might see a huge improvement next season.
It might also be possible to eliminate things that are blocking the sunlight. For example, trimming the tree limbs of taller nearby trees might allow the sun to shine down on the tree instead of being blocked.
You should also know that pruning the crabapple tree helps it out. These trees don’t require heavy pruning, but pruning the tree will ensure that sunlight reaches each part of the tree equally.
6 – Tree Diseases
Sadly, it’s possible that a crabapple tree might stop blooming if it has some type of tree disease. Once common issue that will impact the tree’s flowering ability is known as apple scab.
This is a fungal disease that impacts emerging leaves in the spring. Moist conditions make it more likely that apple scab will thrive on crabapple trees.
You can treat trees that have issues with this fungal disease. It’ll be necessary to apply fungicide to the tree in an attempt to kill off the fungus.
There are also disease-resistant cultivars that you can purchase from stores. In many ways, it’ll be more convenient to own a crabapple tree that is disease-resistant.
Other tree diseases might keep the tree from being able to flower, too. Determine what is wrong with your tree and you’ll be able to learn more about what is happening.
Growing up with a mom who filled her home (inside and out) with all sorts of plants, Lisa got her start in gardening at a young age. Living now on her own with a home and yard full of plants (including an indoor greenhouse), she shares all the gardening tips she’s gained over the years.