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Is it too late/pointless to thin apples now?

Stephanie newish gardenerStephanie newish gardener Posts: 473
in Fruit & veg
Basically just that really. I didn't realise soon enough how many apples the trees were carrying.

If I thin now will it still help the remaining fruit and the tree?

We are making cider again this year so the bigger and juicier the better!

Thanks
No longer newish but can't think of a new name so will remain forever newish.  B)

Posts

  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 16,720
    It might stop the branches breaking if there is a heavy crop. It is probably too late to help the apples remaining. If you are crushing them anyway, does it matter?
  • Stephanie newish gardenerStephanie newish gardener Posts: 473
    I thought it might give a bit of a boost to the remaining apples as we probably won't be harvesting for 6-8 weeks at least.  Given how dry it has been this year, even up here in Scotland, I wondered if there would be merit in a bit of last-minute thinning.

    Happy to leave them if there is nothing to be gained as I have lots of other jobs to do!
    No longer newish but can't think of a new name so will remain forever newish.  B)

  • tigerburnietigerburnie Posts: 89
    The apple will drop fruit even well after the "june drop" in my experience, so if the tree is holding the fruit, it is happy to do so. But the tree is after making lots of seeds, whereas we want the fruit surrounding them. I thin my cooker Howgate Wonder and have already had a couple of crumbles worth this year, I think it helps the later fruit grow that bit better.
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