Apple Tree Question

nelly17

Hi Guys,
I'm a complete noob when it comes to all things green - however myself and my Daughter planted an apple tree a couple of years ago and this summer its starting to bare quite a bit of fruit. Now the Branches are not particularly thick or strong at this point and they seem to be straining under the weight of the fruit.

Should I just leave it be or should I remove the first crop of fruit.


Thanks

monkeynuz

A picture would help but normally you would remove some fruits per branch to reduce the strain on them.

evolving_doors

I think that nature wil sort it out. You usually get the first offloading of excess apples around june (june drop is the term). Then as they get bigger the wind and gravity wil take care of the rest.
For a young tree I would probably just leave it and wait till next time, mainly because the apples you are picking now might be the ones that the tree will want to hang on to and vice versa.

Thats just my two cent anyhow.
Maybe in the interest of science you could cull from one half of the tree and compare the results with the other half.

Oldtree

I would remove some of the fruit to avoid breaking the branches. If all the flowers have set into a bunch u may have 5 apples, in a young tree I would take off the 4 smallest leaving the largest fruit to develop. It also depends on how close your spurs are.

this may help:

http://rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=340

Easiest way to remove is snip stalk.

monkeynuz

Armelodie wrote: »

I think that nature wil sort it out. You usually get the first offloading of excess apples around june (june drop is the term). Then as they get bigger the wind and gravity wil take care of the rest.
For a young tree I would probably just leave it and wait till next time, mainly because the apples you are picking now might be the ones that the tree will want to hang on to and vice versa.

Thats just my two cent anyhow.
Maybe in the interest of science you could cull from one half of the tree and compare the results with the other half.

If the branches are still bending then the June drop hasn't been sufficient, not a good idea to assume it'll sort itself out.

evolving_doors

monkeynuz wrote: »

If the branches are still bending then the June drop hasn't been sufficient, not a good idea to assume it'll sort itself out.

Ya I suppose im being a bit discriminatory on apples considering I just got rid of buds on my pumpkins (although they are small once off plants)
How about the OP gives the tree a shake every now and again?
What about the view that the extra stress placed on the branches will strengthen them (for future heavy crops), whereas if you are plucking of apples early every year then chances are you'll be plucking off the excess apples every year.

nelly17

Thanks Guys I'll look into selectively removing some of the applles - one or two have dropped but thats all.

nelly17

Oldtree wrote: »

I would remove some of the fruit to avoid breaking the branches. If all the flowers have set into a bunch u may have 5 apples, in a young tree I would take off the 4 smallest leaving the largest fruit to develop. It also depends on how close your spurs are.

this may help:

http://rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=340

Easiest way to remove is snip stalk.

Thats exactly the scenario the Flowes must have set into a bunch because I have bunches of 4 or 5 apples

monkeynuz

Armelodie wrote: »

Ya I suppose im being a bit discriminatory on apples considering I just got rid of buds on my pumpkins (although they are small once off plants)
How about the OP gives the tree a shake every now and again?
What about the view that the extra stress placed on the branches will strengthen them (for future heavy crops), whereas if you are plucking of apples early every year then chances are you'll be plucking off the excess apples every year.

What can happen is that as the apples get bigger and heavier they can damage young branches, and also the idea that it will strengthen the branch, each year the branch grows longer and gives rise to a newer weaker bit. Ideally even on fully mature trees you would remove all but two or three per truss so you ensure bigger healthier fuller fruit than five or six smaller lesser fruit.

Oldtree

Armelodie wrote: »

Ya I suppose im being a bit discriminatory on apples considering I just got rid of buds on my pumpkins (although they are small once off plants)
How about the OP gives the tree a shake every now and again?
What about the view that the extra stress placed on the branches will strengthen them (for future heavy crops), whereas if you are plucking of apples early every year then chances are you'll be plucking off the excess apples every year.

a shake could break off a branch or a spur if the apples are too heavy for what is there, best to make a judgement and snip while the tree is young than as the tree ages you take out excess fruit to ensure a good sweet crop. Plums are devils for heavy weight and excess fruit which can taste horrible if not fruit thinned.

Supercell

Monty Don was recommending thinning apples to two per bunch a couple of weeks ago on Gardeners World. Though on a thin branch I'd go further. Even if the branch is stronger its a good idea to thin to prevent the tree becoming biennial in habit.