Utah Fruit and Vegetable Association

Hopefully you pruned your fruit trees in late March or early April. If not, it is something you need to seriously consider for next spring. For this year you can still increase your chances for a successful fruit harvest by thinning the fruit.

There are those that balk at the idea of thinning because it is like throwing away good fruit. However it is important to keep in mind that thinning helps the remaining fruit grow larger, and it is healthier and puts less stress on the trees.

The ideal time to thin most fruit trees is after the fruit is set but while it is still small. In Northern Utah, sometime during the last two weeks of June is a good time. The first thing to look for is the smallest fruit. These probably didn’t get properly pollinated and should be picked first. Then look at the clusters. Pick off fruit until there is one or two well-spaced pieces of fruit left from the cluster. Commercial growers often space fruit 8-10 inches apart. For backyard trees, 4-8 inches should be good, depending on the type of fruit and how large you want them. Visualize the perfect size apple, peach, plum, etc, and that can be your guide for how much spacing to leave.

Remember, what you sacrifice in quantity, you will more than make up for in quality.