Apple Thinning Checklist and Tips

There are many factors that impact optimal fruit load each season, but having a checklist is a great first step at planning for success. Below are a few pre-season reminders from the Valent team to help you get ready.

Pre-Season Thinning Checklist

✓ First, have an idea of how much fruit you’d like to drop. What are your yield and size goals?

• What has worked well in the past…or not?
• Start with your end goal in mind and plan for your optimal packout

✓ How were the crop load and overall conditions last season? A light crop last season may be more difficult to thin this season.

✓ How does return bloom look this season? Assess quality and quantity.

✓ Did you experience any winter injury? Drought or stressful weather last season? Were there any events that may have damaged buds?

Additional Apple Thinning Tips:

• Assess and review bee activity and weather during bloom
• The south and west sides of trees tend to have heavier fruit set—be mindful of looking at the whole tree away from the row ends to determine your thinning needs
• Have calipers to measure the diameter of fruitlets. Knowing the exact diameter helps ensure proper application timing.
• Frosts and freezes eliminate fruit. Monitor the weather and watch temperatures and cloud cover carefully.
• Temperatures above 60°F can help certain PGRs thin apples better
• Multiple days of cloud cover can send a tree into carbon deficit and make thinning easier
• If you are trying something new, be sure to leave an untreated check to evaluate the thinning effects

To learn more about Valent’s apple solutions, click here.

Always read and follow label instructions.