Thinning an apple tree involves selectively removing some of the developing fruits to promote better growth, improve fruit quality, and prevent overbearing. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to thin an apple tree:
Timing: Thinning should be done when the apple tree has reached the "June or July drop" stage. This is typically around 4 to 6 weeks after the tree has finished blooming, usually in late spring or early summer. At this stage, the tree naturally drops some of its excess fruit.
Assess the tree: Examine the branches and evaluate the fruit clusters. Look for clusters with multiple apples that are close together or have uneven spacing. Also, identify any damaged or misshapen fruits.
Choose the right fruits to thin: Select the fruits to thin based on size, spacing, and overall health. Aim to keep the largest, healthiest-looking apples with good spacing between them. Remove the smaller, weaker, or damaged fruits.
Thin the fruits: Using small pruners, gently remove the selected fruits by snipping them off. Take care not to damage the remaining fruits or branches.
Spacing considerations: Leave an appropriate distance between the remaining fruits to allow for proper growth and airflow. A general guideline is to leave about 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm) between each apple. However, this spacing may vary depending on the apple tree variety.
Maintain balance: Thinning should be done evenly across the tree, considering both horizontal and vertical spacing. Aim for an even distribution of remaining fruits throughout the canopy to avoid overburdening specific branches.
Dispose of removed fruits: Collect the thinned fruits and dispose of them properly. You can add them to compost or discard them in a way that prevents any potential pest or disease issues.
Post-thinning care: After thinning, monitor the tree for any signs of stress or disease. Provide adequate water, nutrients, and general care to support the remaining fruits' healthy growth.
Thinning helps ensure that the apple tree allocates its resources more efficiently, resulting in larger, higher-quality fruits. It also helps prevent branches from breaking due to excessive fruit weight and promotes better airflow, reducing the risk of fungal diseases. Remember that specific apple tree varieties may have unique thinning requirements, so consult any variety-specific recommendations or consult with a local horticulturist for tailored advice.
Our selection of pruning tools will help you keep your landscape flourishing.
Thinning an apple tree involves selectively removing some of the developing fruits to promote better growth, improve fruit quality, and prevent overbearing. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to thin an apple tree: Timing: Thinning should be done when the apple tree has reached the "June or July drop" stage.
Chemicals Available for Thinning. Carbaryl (Sevin) is the workhorse of thinning agents. It is the mildest and safest thinner that we have. It generally is used at 0.5 to 2 lbs 50WP or 0.25 to 1 qt Sevin XLR+ per 100 gal, assuming dilute application.
To reduce height, remove tall, upright branches entirely, or cut them back to well-placed strong lateral branches that extend horizontally below the height of 18 feet. A chain saw again is handy because these cuts generally involve removing limbs 6 inches or more in diameter.
The best time to prune apple trees is in late winter or very early spring before any new growth starts. Apples flower and produce fruit on long-lived, stubby twigs called “spurs” often called “old wood,” which means we'll want to prune last year's new growth back every season.
Bill Lord also suggests sprinkling a cup of old fashioned 20 Mule Team Borax around a full sized apple tree (or a couple of tablespoons around a young tree) every 3-4 years to add boron, a trace mineral, to the soil. It is needed for good cell wall growth and for fruit and seed development.
Limited field experience and university research, few registered chemicals, short periods for application and re-application, and the risk of frost damage during bloom are all disadvantages of chemical blossom thinning.
Controls pests on contact. Pests must be present for spray to be effective. Application: Follow the label. To avoid fruit drop, apply 30 days after full bloom.
Seedling or standard rootstocks may cause the tree to grow 20 or more feet tall. Dwarfing rootstocks reduce tree size by up to 50 percent, so that a tree may be only 8, 12, or 15 feet tall when mature, depending upon its rootstock, scion variety, and growing conditions.
Prune the tree to the same height annually. Method two: If the tree is structurally sound but taller than you can manage safely, reduce the tree height slowly over a three- year period. Once you determine how tall you desire the tree to be, cut one third of the excess each year.
Pruning. If the crown of your tree is stretching too tall or wide, corrective pruning can help rein it in and size it down for the space available. It's crucial to prune a tree before it becomes a problem because taking away too many branches could cause unnecessary stress.
Start at one end of a branch and systematically remove fruit, leaving one fruit every 6 to 8 inches. Keep in mind that only 5% to 10% of the tree's flowers are needed to set a full crop of fruit. When choosing which fruit to leave look for the largest fruit.
There is never a bad time to remove dead, damaged or diseased branches. But most trees benefit from pruning in mid to late winter. Pruning during dormancy encourages new growth as soon as the weather begins to warm. The lack of leaves after autumn allows you to easily identify branches and limbs requiring removal.
Since you want vigorous new growth to spread out and away from the center of the tree, make you cut above a bud that's aimed outward. These are usually located on the underside of the branch. This helps your apple tree take on a more spreading shape, keeping it open to light and air circulation.
Don't trim too early in winter; it can harm the tree in cold weather. Late winter or early spring is best. Summer pruning is fine, but don't prune too much to prevent weakening the tree.
Introduction: My name is Tish Haag, I am a excited, delightful, curious, beautiful, agreeable, enchanting, fancy person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
