Farmbytes: thin apples for better harvests

Why, how, and when to hand-thin apples.

• Thinning apple trees will improve the 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.

Video resources:

• Apple thinning Farmbyte intro (2016; 1:56)

• Improve your apple crop through hand thinning (2016; 5:13)

Continue learning

• Growing apples in the home garden: Selecting, planting and growing apple trees in Minnesota. Includes pruning and thinning instructions.