In this newsletter:<\/p>\n
Good temperatures for chemical thinning will occur this week and into next week. The warm temperatures will mean that fruit can rapidly grow to a size where they become resistant to chemical thinners. Most varieties were about 7 mm on Monday and could grow to 15 mm before the end of next week.<\/p>\n
Fruit set in various apple orchards was evident at Highmoor Farm on Monday, but also some clusters with fruitlets that were too undeveloped to tell if they will persist or drop. Pears had poor return bloom but good fruit set.<\/p>\n
McIntosh apples appear to have set with one to three fruit per cluster at Highmoor Farm, but some clusters that are blanks with no fruit. This variety had more blanks than other varieties. My assessment indicates a need for some thinning to break up clusters. With the warm temperatures predicted, I am suggesting a mild thinning strategy for this variety. King fruit diameter was 7 mm on Monday. Some McIntosh trees have sparse bloom. When fruit set is very light, trees are less responsive to chemical thinners.<\/p>\n
Honeycrisp has good fruit set in the more advanced clusters, but most clusters were not yet at the stage where the extent of fruit set could be seen. Fruit diameter ranged from 5 to 8 mm.<\/p>\n
Cortland fruit set appears to be good with about four fruit per cluster and very few blanks. Fruit diameter was 8 mm on the early blooming clusters and 5 mm on the later blooming ones. Response to thinners in this variety takes a long time, so it may appear that chemical thinners have worked until after the thinning window.<\/p>\n
Macoun has mixed fruit set meaning there are some blanks and some clusters set heavy with four fruit. This means thinning is needed with a moderate to aggressive rate of thinning depending on your orchard and the need for large fruit size. Macoun is known to grow small apples. Fruit diameter was 7 mm.<\/p>\n
Evercrisp is reported to be self-thinning, meaning that chemical thinning is generally not needed.<\/p>\n
Ambrosia had some clusters that were net yet in full bloom. This means they are at risk of fireblight during the next infection period this Thurs.<\/p>\n
Gala, Fuji and Golden Delicious fruitlets were not yet at a stage where fruit set could be seen. Fruit diameter was 6 mm.<\/p>\n
Triumph had good fruit set with three to four flowers per cluster. Fruit diameter was 10 mm. Some trees have very few flowers. These trees are interplanted with other varieties and will get the thinner mix of the dominant variety in our orchards which is now Honeycrisp.<\/p>\n\n\t\t