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Top tips for Apple Thinning

Thierry · 2019-07-01T16:28:57+00:00

Hello, I have 2 or 3 year old apple trees. I have followed Charles' advice on planting and first year, and was keen to thin the fruit now... someone told me to wait for the June fruit drop to be completely finished, so I can pick the right fruit. Has anyone any tip into selecting the right apple fruit from a cluster? The bigger one, healthier one or on in the middle? Thanks a lot.

Asked by Thierry 1 July 2019 3 replies in Fruit

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Viewing 4 posts - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)

Thierry 1 July 2019 #70508

Hello,

I have 2 or 3 year old apple trees. I have followed Charles’ advice on planting and first year, and was keen to thin the fruit now… someone told me to wait for the June fruit drop to be completely finished, so I can pick the right fruit.
Has anyone any tip into selecting the right apple fruit from a cluster? The bigger one, healthier one or on in the middle?
Thanks a lot.
beverley 2 July 2019 #70509

HI Thierry

Thanks for raising this – I need to do mine too! Follow this link to find what the RHS has to say about thinning apples https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=340

Cheers
Beverley
Charles Dowding 3 July 2019 #70517

Thierry I thin most clusters to one and often remove the large central one which has a short stalk, which would make it more difficult to pick for storage. Then leave the next largest, and as soon as possible now.
Rhys 30 July 2019 #70646

I did my apple thinning much earlier this year, in early June, just after the drop started to occur. Due to a very sunny May, fruit were well advanced, allowing thinning to proceed.

As a result, fruit are much larger, much earlier this year, which suggests that thinning as early as practicable may have some value.