I have a strange tree in our (very) aging orchard. Thought I'd post here in case anybody enjoys solving orchard mysteries. As you'll see, it's probably not so much a case of "what's the problem" as "which problem from this long list."

'Symptoms':
• By the calendar, its apples should be ripe now (or near). However, (a) the fruit hasn't colored at all (b) fruit has no sweetness or flavor. It's like biting into a tasteless watermelon - crisp, watery, not underripe / starchy, not overripe...just bland. (c) Fruit is @ ~65% proper size (though as you'll see, this last bit is common throughout the orchard due, I'm guessing, to nutrition and/or age). I googled these symptoms, and all the hits were in the realm of 'why don't supermarket apples taste good anymore.'

Details:
• 40 y/o 'Imperial' Winesap
• Weather has been singularly strange this year. We have 200% rainfall levels. (is it that simple - a 'watery' apple? I'd think the poor size precludes this, but really I've no clue). GDD's are way off too; while some apples harvested 'on time,' other apples are a month+ late with little sign of progress.
• Major leaf drop by Aug. (consistent with rest of Orchard and other trees in area - I think due to to heavy rain, a couple small droughts, poor nutritional health, and rot/scab pressure).
• Soil & leaf tests this year show low: N, Ca, Mg, S, B, Zn, and 5.9 pH. (To be sure, we'll be addressing amendments this year).
• Due to the specifics of where this tree is sited, we spread weed fabric across ~50% dripline last March. Not ideal, I know, but that's a longer story. While I've heard mixed messages about how this might effect nutrition in long run, I didn't think to see an immediate effect...but now I wonder.
Earthworks
Zone 7a in West-Central MD
Non-commercial, ~100 fruit trees, dwarf to MM106