By Pollock
United Kingdom 
i have 2 apples trees both 5 years old in the last 2 years i have had problems ( before that plenty of good healthy fruit ) the first tree is large red apples but only a dozen apples in the last 2 years the second trre is green apples with a rewd blush. it has plenty of apples but they have black spots with scabby peel and they have started rotting on the tree. the only difference in this area of garden is i planted potots in a small plot next to the trees. and also planted 2 other apple trees which have produced nothing at all. what is wrong and what should i do
7 Aug, 2012
Answers
It also depends on whether the type of apple is a virtual biennial - we have several different types, and, for instance, one of our James Grieve trees had absolutely no fruit whatsoever last year, after a fairly productive 2010, but this year it is absolutely laden again! Dorjac has a good point about the rotten weather you've been having, and the need for appropriate pollinators is really important. Quite often, apple tree growers will advise that you don't need to feed trees, but we do, round about every other year, and it does make a difference.
8 Aug, 2012
Previous question
Hi Pollock you really need to know the name of your apples, and keep a record to start with, to make sure they have a pollinator in your garden. You can't rely on neighbours trees as they may move/cut them down or if potted they may fail to thrive. The way the climate is going, and the damp this year may affect your tree's
productivity. Also the fertility of the ground around them may have gone down. I have planted 2 clematis next to the least productive ones. While feeding the Clems, I fed the trees, and a better crop this year or just coincidence. If a tree is weak it cannot deal with the host of nuisances (small trees) have to deal with.
8 Aug, 2012