Country roads

Thin that fruit
As sure as the sun comes up; seasons whiz by; weeds grow and God really does make little green apples, it’s time to thin orchard fruit again. If you suspect that I write this story every April, you are correct. If you suspect that I simply retrieve the same old copy and recycle it to Editor Holley, you’re wrong.
First of all, I wouldn’t do that, and second, I can write on this subject with my eyes closed and hands tied behind my back. Well, not quite with my keyboard limitation.
Little apples. Why did God make them? The simple answer is: to preserve and promote the survival and creation of that apple variety. Of course you and I know, from writing or reading all those past articles on fruit thinning, that in order to produce the exact same apple or any other fruit, a piece of branch called a scion must be grafted into another compatible tree or root stock and the resulting fruit will be an exact replica of the parent.
Fruit trees that grow from seeds are very like the parent but because of natural pollination by insects, a blossom can contain many different genes from differing compatible fruit. This is how new apple varieties were discovered. Often they were growing in an orchard nearby, but quite unique.
Sometimes natural forces, such as wind, disease or birds will thin fruit. But in order to predictably have good fruit size the gardener must hand thin each branch. Since apples and pears grow on old wood, the entire tree must be worked.
Some fruit clusters can be thinned simply by pushing off excess fruit with your fingers. Other clusters need to be thinned by using a small clippers. There should be only one apple or pear in a blossom, not eight or 10. And, the clusters should be far enough apart to insure that there is adequate space and foliage for growth.
For peaches and nectarines, the fruit should be a hand spread apart. And, since stone fruit grows ahead of pome fruit (apples, pears, quince) these trees need attention immediately, or as soon as you find a sun-blocking hat and orchard ladder. The fruit will be growing on one-year-old wood, reinforcing the need to prune stone fruit trees in the winter so that you can access the fruit safely.
Can this task be boring? It can. If you concentrate on the branch and the hundreds of small fruit awaiting their fate in your hands you might not last long. If your mind can be occupied with listening to the mockingbirds, a radio broadcast of a ball game or music, you will be amazed how much your dexterous little fingers can accomplish.
If you have more than one tree, make a decision to thin just one tree at an outing.
“Divide and conquer” is an excellent motto for conquering that “kick the can down the road” annoying habit.
The following will sound familiar as well, as I write and rewrite upon this subject. Besides having larger fruit size, your tree will be easier to care for. Bugs and bruises are the result of fruit fighting for room amongst siblings. Tight places are preferred spaces for earwigs and other unwanted small beasts.
As you thin the fruit, imagine how much weight that nearly full grown apple or peach will bear on the branch. Is it a strong branch or a little twig? How many boards will you, gardener, place under the branches to assist in its support of the fruit until you harvest the crop? Torn limbs and broken trees are a sad sight in an orchard. Often a limb tearing can rip into the tree trunk, creating a haven for bugs and disease. This can be avoided by keeping the fruit weight limited.
The benefits of your labor and care are obvious to the health of the tree. What may not be obvious is the benefit to you, the caregiver. Yet, just think about it. What with walking around your garden; climbing up and down a safe ladder; bending, reaching and stretching; breathing fresh air and feeling the warm sun on your shoulders – you have successfully exercised your whole self and you avoided spraining your big toe kicking that can.
Renee Kiff weeds and writes at her family farm in Alexander Valley.