Fruiting apple tree

We never thinned the fruit on our apple tree and always had a good crop.

We had an apple tree which produced masses of fruit but every single one got filled with wasps before they were ripe enough to eat - hopeless!

Thanks a lot people, very helpful!!

Thin to two fruits per cluster on miniatures, that is. Leave more per cluster on more vigorous rootstock trees

Even after the June drop, my husband finds he needs to thin the clusters. You could delay your thinning until July or August if you want to be safe. The tree at his allotment is a miniature although it is planted in the ground and he read somewhere that for them, it should have no more than two. Presumably this is to allow the fruit to grow larger.

We have mature apple trees on our estate that get no attention at all but still go on to produce good sized fruit. I noticed yesterday that some of the unripe fruit has dropped but this is natural. The same thing is happening with my plum tree and, like Bluebelle, I can’t get to all the branches to thin out the fruit so I will just leave it to it’s own devices.

I have a pear tree full but I can’t reach them to thin out so I ll have to see what happens do you think they ll all stay tiny

Thanks very much Hilltopgran, I didn't think I get any replies let alone one with that much info!

I'll watch monty on iplayer and see what he recommends out of interest, but I think I'm going to take a chance and give them a good water anyway!!

There was an item about apple drop on Gardner's world on Friday evening, Monty Don suggested thinning to two fruits at each cluster. I personally have always left my trees to sort themselves, and still ended with a good crop. How much water you give is dependent on the size of the tree but it is usual to water any newly planted tree or shrub in the first year, especially in a dry summer. Water will help the fruit swell, and as long as the roots do not sit in water I do not think it will affect the natural fruit fall. My apples were the best they have ever been when we had a really wet summer last year.