cherry growers often thin oversetting varieties (such as lapins) by tipping before bloom because actual thinning labor is too expensive
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Tape was used with wood to hold it in place, but never recovered.
Some usually annual varieties here are skipping a year of fruit so apparently I failed to thin enough fruit.
I have been watching some of the Skilcult videos and see that he makes sure there are no branches within 12 inches of each other so they do not make a weak section.
He also makes it so the tree has 4 maybe 5 main branches. This also seems to keep the tree below 12 to 15 feet which to me is desirable.
Would like to see others thinking on this method.
For apples try apple blossom tea, it turns thinning into harvesting 
Heck it should work with other fruit trees as well.
Yeah, as a general rule, I anticipate how large the fruit might get and thin them with the aim that at full size they won’t be touching one another.
Aside from improving fruit size, potentially mitigating alternate year bearing, and making the load reasonable - it seems that the point of contact of two fruits is where insects and other problems make their move.
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Funny I was thinking about this today as I go through and prune peaches. Trying to not make the mistake of leaving weak branches and funky co-dominant branching that ends up splitting because of rot and weight…example:
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What would you say lead to this kind of breakage?
Looks like weak crotch from included bark.
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I actually broke it because I knew it was rotten.
Yup…weak crotch angle. Make sure scaffolds have a well formed branch collar and good angles. I’ve learned from my mistakes.
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That’s where brown rot sets up shop
So steep angles are better or horizontal ones?
45 degree angles are the best. Sometimes you have to take what the tree gives you and work with it though.
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