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Fruit Thinning to Increase Fruit Size OSA 31-S84.Pub FRUIT THINNING TO INCREASE FRUIT SIZE Page 1 Publication FRUIT THINNING Number TO NCREASE RU IT IZE 31-S84 I F S (Published April AUTHOR: Chuck Ingels, Farms Advisor, Sacramento County. 2000) EDITED BY JUDY MCCLURE, Master Gardener Program Coordinator. ILLUSTRATED BY Walter Dong. Most trees produce more fruit Fruit thinning is also required on SPECIES THAT REQUIRE than they can support or develop fruit bushes. THINNING adequately. If weather conditions Another benefit of fruit thinning is Not all species require fruit are right, the far majority of that spread of some diseases can thinning. Cherry fruit are small flowers on a tree will set fruit, be reduced. For example, brown enough that they are usually not a especially if the tree was not rot can quickly move from fruit to significant carbohydrate sink. All adequately pruned. The fruit just before harvest when the other stone fruits do require excessive fruit compete with each fruit are touching. Air movement thinning. All apples and Asian other for carbohydrates and so around tightly clustered fruit is pears require thinning, as do most remain small. This carbohydrate minimal, so unthinned fruit that is European pears. ‘Bartlett’ pears drain, or “sink,” can also weaken rained on just before harvest will often naturally thin the tree and make it more cannot adequately dry, allowing themselves, and harvesting larger susceptible to pests and sunburn disease organisms to multiply fruit early (early to mid July) will damage. Excessive fruit can also rapidly. lead to alternate bearing, a cycle allow the smaller fruit to increase in which the tree bears NATURAL FRUIT DROP in size for a second pick one to excessively in one year and little two weeks later. Figs, Flowers and fruit naturally thin the next year. persimmons, pomegranate, and themselves, often at distinct time nut trees do not require thinning, periods. Flowers not pollinated BENEFITS although branches of persimmon turn yellow and drop off just after trees may break with the weight Fruit thinning has several flowering. If there were many of excessive fruit and may benefit benefits. The main benefit is to flowers but little set, the flowers from some fruit thinning or increase fruit size and quality. were probably not pollinated propping. Grapes that have more Thinning allows each fruit to because cold or wet weather fruit than the vine can support, develop to its maximum size and prevented bees or other insects especially young vines, also little reduction of tree vigor. from visiting flowers. Also, it may benefit from thinning. Citrus do Thinning also allows each fruit to be necessary to plant a pollinizer not require thinning. receive more light, so fruit color variety nearby or graft one onto and flavor may be improved. the tree. Another period of TIMING OF THINNING Fruit thinning also reduces natural drop is known as “June Fruit should be thinned when they alternate bearing. drop,” which usually occurs in are fairly small — typically from Reducing the fruit load through May in California. Fruit that is early April (for early ripening fruit) proper pruning and fruit thinning, diseased or infested with insects to mid May (for late ripening fruit). especially near the ends of also often drop prematurely. For Thinning too late reduces the branches, reduces the chances of example, codling moth-infested chances that fruit size will limb breakage. Keeping trees apples or pears will usually drop increase, and thinning too early small, as discussed in Training early, but often not before the can result in split pits in stone and Pruning Fruit Trees (EH larvae have already emerged and fruits, especially peaches. Stone Notes #82), makes thinning much pupated in bark crevices. fruits are thinned when they are more feasible for most people. COOPERATIVE EXTENSION, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA Placer County WEB SITE: ceplacernevada.ucdavis.edu Nevada County The University of California, in accordance with applicable Federal and State law and University policy, 11477 E Avenue (Bldg 306, DeWitt Center) does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, age, medical 255 So Auburn (Veterans Memorial Bldg) condition (cancer-related), ancestry, marital status, citizenship, sexual orientation, or status as a Auburn, California 95603 TheVietnam-era University ofveteran California, or special in accordance disabled veteran.with applicable Inquiries Federal regarding and State the University’s law and University nondiscrimination policy, does not Grass Valley, California 95945 discriminatepolicies mayon the be basis directed of race, to the color, Affirmative national Action origin, Director, religion, University sex, disability, of California, age, medical Agriculture condition and (cancer- PHONE (530) 889-7385 related),Natural ancestry, Resources, marital 1111 status, Franklin, citizenship, 6th Floor, sexual Oakland, orientation, California or status 94607-5200. as a Vietnam-era (510) 987-0096. veteran or special PHONE (530) 273-4563 disabled veteran. Inquiries regarding the University’s nondiscrimination policies may be directed to the Affirmative United States Department of Agriculture, University of California, Placer and Nevada Counties UFAXNIVERSITY (530) 889-7397 OF CALIFORNIA COOPERATIVEAction Director,EXTENSION University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources, 1111 Franklin, 6th Floor, Oakland, PLACER & NFAXEVADA (530) C OUNTIES273-4769 cooperating. California 94607-5200. (510) 987-0096. E-Mail: [email protected] United States Department of Agriculture, University of California, Placer & Nevada Counties cooperating. E-Mail: [email protected] FRUIT THINNING TO INCREASE FRUIT SIZE Page 2 about ¾ to 1 inch in diameter and possible to leave pome fruits are thinned at ½ to 1 somewhat more fruit by inch, or within about 30 to 45 selecting those on days after full bloom. alternating sides of the branch. AMOUNT OF FRUIT TO THIN Pole thinning is used The amount of fruit to thin mainly on large trees depends on the species and the where hand thinning overall fruit load on the tree. For would be cumbersome. example, apricots and plums are Pole thinning is much fairly small, so they should be faster, and although it is less Figure 1. A) Stone fruits before thinned to 2 to 4 inches, whereas accurate, the results are often thinning. peaches and nectarines should adequate. With this method, a be thinned to about 3 to 5 inches. short rubber hose, cloth, or thick If spring conditions for pollination tape is fastened on the end of the were ideal, excessive fruit may pole to reduce scarring or have set, requiring more thinning. bruising. Strike individual fruit or If fruit load is light, but one or two clusters to remove a portion of the branches have a large amount of fruit. With experience, you will be fruit, less thinning is required able to strike a cluster once or because the total carbohydrate twice with just enough force to sink is light. However, consider adequately break up the cluster. Figure 1. B) After thinning; dotted lines factors such as disease spread show fruit size at maturity. Remove and limb breakage if excessive APPLES AND PEARS small, deformed, diseased, or blemished fruit when possible, leaving fruit is allowed to remain on a Unlike stone fruits, which produce branch. the largest, best looking fruit. one fruit per bud, pome fruits Remaining fruit should not touch at METHODS OF THINNING produce a cluster of flowers and maturity. fruit from each bud. Thin to no STONE FRUITS more than one to two fruit per REFERENCE There are two main ways to thin cluster, depending on the total Adapted from Environmental fruit: by hand or by a pole. fruit set and growing conditions. Horticulture Notes #84, University Thinning by hand is more Ideally, fruit on a heavily cropped of California Cooperative Extension, thorough and accurate than the tree should be spaced no less Sacramento County pole method, but is much slower. than 6 to 8 inches apart. Thinning Hand thinning mainly involves in this manner can reduce codling removing enough fruit to allow the moth damage because larvae remaining fruit to have sufficient often move between fruits that are space so they do not touch at touching. Remove small fruit maturity (Fig. 1). On short spurs, where possible, because fruit that this may mean leaving only two or is smaller when young will be three fruit. If a long fruiting smaller at harvest. branch produces fruit on the entire length of the branch (which should have been headed at pruning), thin more heavily, especially near the terminal end. Remove small, disfigured, or damaged fruit when you have the option (Fig. 1). Remove “doubles” (two fruits fused together) unless they are well spaced. Many times, it is UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA COOPERATIVE EXTENSION PLACER & NEVADA COUNTIES .
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