Apple trees never bloom ....

My father has 15 plus apple trees on a 40 acre farm of different varieties. Most were purchased from Lowes over a period spanning 3 to 7 years ago. Most have never bloomed and those that have only once with a few blooms. We have tried fertilizing, not fertilizing. Planting in open fields, planting next to wood lines, grafting, no pruning, heavy pruning. Some trees grow vigorously, some medium growth and some look stunted. Trees are in Central Virginia so you usually have a layer of topsoil then red clay dirt.

Why no blooms? When I read the forums and apple sites they talk about PH tests which I understand what that is. Then they talk about nutrient tests - you want to make sure they are not over fed or under fed with nutrients. What kind of test tells you about nutrients? Where do I get this test?

Any suggestions on this would be greatly appreciated.

You should pay a visit to your county Cooperative Extension Service office. Your taxes already pay for this service, and they have lots of information about growing fruit trees in your area. They also are the conduit to performing standard soil tests for pH, nutrients (typically N - P - K which are Nitrogen - Phosphorus - Potassium), and anything else that might need to be determined about your soil conditions.

Bring as much detailed information as you can collect when you go visit the Extension Service. They can be very helpful, if they have the complete story from you. Take pictures of what you current conditions are with your trees, and show them to the staff when you go.

I would create (on paper if that is what you have, or in an Excel spreadsheet if you are competent with that format) a page of information about each tree. Think about this as if each of your trees was a child/patient that you were taking to the doctor.

**what species/clone/cultivar
**where it was purchased and what date/year
**what size it was when purchased and what condition (bare root, container size, B&B)
**when, where, and how it was planted
**the regimen of treatments you have performed on the tree - pruning (when, how much); fertilization (when, what, how much)
**behavior of each plant - vigor of growth; occasion of bloom

I think that there can be a variety of issues with your plants. The number of variables are high, since you have treated these trees so many different ways. Here are some things that can be detrimental to trees and can affect quality/quantity of bloom.

***Poor quality stock
***Improper planting techniques which stress/stunt trees (planting too deep; planting in constantly wet soils with poor drainage)
***Late frosts/freezes which kill flower buds or flowers
***Predation by herbivores which eat young branches on which flowers are formed
***Improper pruning practices which cut off branches where flowers would have formed
***Climatic conditions which stress trees - drought; overabundant rainfall/flooding; ice/snow loads which damage branches; frosts/freezes as mentioned earlier
***Insect and/or disease damage (cicadas, tent caterpillars, fireblight, rust, scab, leaf spot)

Lots to consider. Let professional public employees help you.

i have started my apple trees from seeds,they are called PINK LADIES,started with 18 have 11 that made it,i have them in pots for now,i have to redo our soil before i put them in ground,some people say they will never have fruit but i will wait and see,they are now 2 feet tall and doing great,i got the seeds from apples that we brought at h.e.b. and dried a little and put in to potting soil.