New idea for controlling crop load http://www.goodfruit.com/new-idea-for-controlling-crop-load/
Saw this on Good Fruit Grower site.
3 Likes
Interesting but as per normal the commercial growers are more interested in increasing yield and apple color than fruit quality.
1 Like
Both of us have done this for years, at least for you with Asian pears, right? I use the method for apple varieties prone to biennial bearing or for any tree with inadequate vigor.as a matter of course. The sooner you redirect energy the greater the amount of energy put to best use.
1 Like
The thinning method is new to me, never seen anyone here speak of it. Then again i don’t follow the apple and pear threads as I have no interest in growing these fruits at this time.
1 Like
You are correct. Spur thinning is my preferred method to start thinning Asian pears. That has been mentioned here often. I haven’t used it on apples just because they are easier to thin later on than the pears.
1 Like
In the west, blooms have been sprayed for years as one method of early thinning (using oils, as I recall). The reason such tactics aren’t popular in the east is because one never knows if a destructive freeze won’t come after you’ve removed flowers, making earlier thinning an unfortunate decision.
2 Likes
True
late freezes do make it a concern
Good for Goldrush maybe?
That is the first variety for which I used this tactic. It tends to have flower clusters as close as an inch apart so I remove 2/3rds of them before they even open sometimes. I figure the risk is greater if you are destroying everything but the king flower which is going to be the most susceptible to early frost.
Thank you.