How to Thin Fruit on Fruit Trees

To produce the best-tasting fruit of ideal size, the fruit on many types of trees needs to be thinned. This will also prevent the branches of the tree from becoming so laden with fruit that they break, and will help your tree to remain healthy.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Start small. Your task of thinning the fruit will be much easier if you have pruned your tree appropriately. This way you can reach the top branches without having to climb very high.

2. Wait until after a fruit drop. Many trees will naturally drop a portion of their fruit in early to mid summer. This fruit is generally less healthy than the fruit that remains on the tree. Waiting until this happens will not only save you work, but will ensure that you end up with the maximum amount of quality fruit.

3. Use scissors or pruning shears. If you simply pull the fruit off the tree, you will lose some of the fruits that you want to keep on growing. Leaving the stem in place while removing the fruit will leave more fruit on the tree.

4. Leave the largest and roundest fruit. Often individual fruits have begun to grow improperly because of overcrowding. Removing the smallest and most misshapen fruit first will give you a better crop.

5. Know your variety. The general rule of thumb for very small fruits such as mulberries is if you can touch 2 with one thumb, they are too close together. For larger fruits, if you can touch 2 with 1 fist, they need to be thinned. You will usually want one fruit per cluster to remain on the tree.

Tips & Warnings

• Apples should be thinned to 4 to 6 inches apart for small varieties, and 6 to 9 inches apart for the larger varieties.
• Pears should be thinned in midsummer to 2 per cluster for a light crop, and 1 per cluster for a heavy crop. The natural fruit drop for pears occurs later in the summer than for most other fruits.
• Plums should be thinned to 2 to 3 inches apart for small, and 3 to 4 inches apart for larger varieties. Apricots should be thinned to 3 inches between fruits.
• Peaches and nectarines can be thinned to 1 fruit per cluster when they are the size of hazelnuts, and then again after the natural drop to 6 to 9 inches apart. They may be spaced closer together in warmer climates.
• Loquats and persimmons should be thinned while still in flower.