Crabapple tree care

Question

I moved into my house about 1 1/2 yrs ago and in the front yard there is an immature crabapple. When I moved in it had what looked like cotton wool on its branches and since then has disappeared, leaving only a small amount behind. I have never pruned it, as I have only just found the label at the base of the tree! Does it need another tree to produce fruit? It’s never flowered but it does get a lot of leaves.

Answer 1

Do you know what variety of crab apple you have? Crab apple trees are self-fertile, meaning you do not need to plant two crab apple trees in order for pollination to occur – you just need some bees. Some varieties, however, are sterile and produce no fruit. Do you know how old the tree is? It can take about five to six years for these trees to grow up enough to produce flowers.

The cottony wool like substance on the branches of your crab apple was the handi-work of a woolly aphid. You may want to inspect the tree closely for it. They can stunt the growth of the trees if they infest the tree’s roots. More information on this pest can be found here:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/insects/woolly-aphid-control.htm

For more information on growing crab apple trees, please visit the following link:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/crabapple/flowering-crabapple-trees.htm