Fruit Thinning
Thinning Apples for Overall Tree Health
During mid May through early June, adopters (both Pruning and Orchard Supporters) will need to thin their tree. Thinning apple trees means to remove excess, small fruitlets (when they are about the size of a marble to golf ball). This is an important tree care activity! Aim to remove apple fruitlets with a hand pruner to create 4 to 6 inches of space between apple fruitlets. A good rule of thumb is that an apple fruitlet should not be touching another apple fruitlet.
Why thinning apples is important
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Lack of thinning can result in branch breakage due to weight.
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Thinning small fruitlets is essential to increasing the size and quality of remaining apples.
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This will also help prevent an apple tree from only bearing fruit every other year.
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Overall tree health can be improved by reducing stress and improving air circulation to minimize disease.​​​​​
Example of what your bucket might look like after you have thinned your tree:
Example of what to avoid - an un-thinned tree where apples are still growing with not enough space:
