First decide whether there is a need to thin the apple orchard and to what level and then determine which method of thinning is the most appropriate.
There are several possible strategies to optimise the crop loads on apple trees. The potential numbers of fruits can be reduced by:
- The removal of sites of floral bud development in winter pruning
- Flower thinning and/or
- Fruitlet thinning.
It is important to decide which of these methods are appropriate.