QUESTION TIME

GOT A FRUIT OR VEG PROBLEM? ASK KG FOR HELP

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LITTLE APPLES, BIG MYSTERY

Q. Does the team have any ideas why my apples are so small this year? Keith Jack, Liverpool

A. A few factors can lead to undersized apples, even on otherwise healthy trees. This year's cool, wet spring and poor pollination conditions affected many fruit crops - fewer fertilised seeds mean smaller fruit. If the tree set a heavy crop early on, it may also have struggled to size them up, particularly if thinning wasn't done in June. Lack of water during key swelling periods in July and August can compound the problem, especially for espalier-trained trees, which have limited root space.

To encourage better fruit size next year, thin developing apples to one per cluster in early summer, feed with a balanced fertiliser in spring, and mulch well to retain moisture. A light summer pruning of side shoots will also help direct energy into fruit rather than into excess growth.

CUCUMBER WITH IDEAS

Q. Has anyone seen a mini cucumber grow a leaf? I've been growing cucumbers for 30 years, and this is a first.
Phil Neely, Co. Durham