Filed under: Garden
I learned something new Saturday, watching a too-long video on pruning after standing under my apple tree and pointing the camera upwards at all that fruit.
One of the reasons you thin apples? It’s not just because you want fewer but bigger and better tasting ones; that’s a given.
It’s because if you don’t, they grow in clusters, and at every point where apples touch it allows what you don’t want to weave a web between the two of them, from which you end up with a worm that burrows on in when it’s ready.
Oh.
Huh.
Well, that’s definitely incentive to get that done.
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I like to learn something every day and I just did. Makes sense when you read it.
I had heard or read once upon a time that thinning helps maintain the health of the tree itself. Too many fruits can leave the tree struggling to support them.
I recall clearly my dad thinning the pears in our lone tree when I was young. In September those pears were more luscious than anything we could buy. Obviously he knew what he was doing. Thanks for stirring up those memories of a father gone 20 years now.
Chris S
Well, that certainly makes sense. And it’s very motivating!
Comment by ccr in MA 07.27.20 @ 12:37 pmIf I don’t thin my apple tree, it only bears fruit every other year. Mostly I leave the fruit for the squirrels anyway but I thought that was interesting. I imagine if I did a better job enriching the soil each year, it would fruit better.
Comment by Deb 07.31.20 @ 3:26 pmLeave a comment
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