It is difficult to identify apple varieties unless your variety is a very common one. There are more than 10,000 named apple varieties in the world today. Sometimes we may be able to tell what “type” of apple it is (e.g., Jonathan type, Delicious type). When planting fruit in the landscape, it is important to create a plan showing where different varieties are planted. Put the plan in a notebook and a copy in the garage or planting shed.…
When is the proper time to thin fruit on apple, pear, and peach trees?
Apples and pears have three periods when some immature fruit drops naturally from the tree. The June drop (Zones 6 and 7) is the last one, and many growers feel that thinning should follow this drop. However, if a heavy bloom has coincided with good weather so that bees worked the blooms, the chances are that relatively few fruit will drop from the tree. In this instance, heavy thinning is required. The earlier the fruit are thinned, the greater the …