Thin It to Win It
Fruit trees are domesticated trees…
…that have been bred to give us lots of fruit! So much so that they can overproduce, causing issues like small, not-so-tasty fruit and even tree injury. So before your tree’s fruit matures, you gotta thin it to win it!
Why fruit thinning matters
While it may sound sad to sacrifice some of your cutie little fruities, it is of the utmost importance that you thin the fruit on your trees before they get too large! Not doing so can weigh down the branches too much, which often leads to breakage. It’s also not recommended to stake branches in the interest of keeping every fruit.
Your tree has a finite amount of sugars stored from last year’s growing season; right now, it’s using that energy to produce fruit and make new leaves to photosynthesize for next year’s crop. Too much fruit will often turn out sour and potentially inedible. We want to help our trees allocate their energy effectively so they can give their sugars to a reasonable amount of fruit instead of spreading it too thin across a massive amount of fruit. What sounds better: 60 small, sour fruitlets or 20 large, juicy flavor bombs?
Look at the weight of all that fruit on that branch!
This tree needs to be thinned pronto!
How to thin your fruit
Different trees produce fruits in different ways so a guideline for thinning your fruit will vary depending on your tree species. Since these are general guidelines, you will sometimes need to use your best judgment based on the tree’s age and capacity.
Stone Fruit & Persimmons: Thin to 1 fruit every 4”-6” per branch
Apples & Pears: Thin to 1-2 fruit per cluster
Citrus: Thin to 3-4 per bundle
Other considerations:
It’s beneficial to remove almost all the fruit during the first year after planting, so that your new tree can focus on growing strong roots and shoots to support the larger yields to come.
Citrus flowering again and/or with small fruitlets should have as much (over)ripe fruit removed as possible.
Make sure your fruit does not weigh down your branch so much that it strains the tree—and definitely make sure that your fruit is never sitting on the ground while attached to the branch. The latter can collect bacteria from the soil and infect your tree.
Remember to throw those thinned fruities into your green bin when you’re done!
The best way to thin is with a nice sharp and clean pair of hand pruners. Sometimes gently twisting the fruit will cause it to pop off easily as well.
Next Steps
Too busy to thin your own fruit? This is a very fun activity for kids who are old enough to understand handling the tree with care.
Or if you prefer a professional, contact info@fruitstitute.com for a consultation. If you’re already a client, let us know your tree needs thinning so that your next visit allots the proper time for this care.
