Why, how, and when to hand thin apples.
- Thinning apple trees will improve size and quality of fruit and reduce alternate bearing.
- Hand thin apples when they are half an inch in diameter.
- Leave one to two apples every six inches.
Continue learning
- Growing apples in the home garden: Selecting, planting and growing apple trees in Minnesota. Includes pruning and thinning instructions.
- A grower's guide to organic apples: Manual from Cornell University. See the “Crop-Load Management” section. Includes discussion on chemical thinning for organic growers.
- Midwest fruit pest management Guide: From the Midwest Fruit Workers Group. Includes a section on chemical thinning for conventional growers.
Reviewed in 2016