Flowering & fruit
Fruit thinning
Removing extra fruit to improve size and next year's flowering.
Relevant stages: Fruit Let.
Too much fruit gives small fruit and can cause biennial bearing.
- Thin at fruit let, when fruit is 10 to 12 mm.
- Do it by hand, or use NAA at 5 to 10 ppm as the SKUAST guide states.
- Remove damaged, diseased and misshapen fruits first, including scab-infected fruit.
- Aim for evenly spaced fruit along the branch.
- Check the label and your agronomist before using a chemical thinner.
General guidance. Always read product labels and consult an agronomist for problems specific to your orchard.
