At this time of the year, apple and pear growers are busy assessing the 'fruit set' and deliberating the need for thinning.
What we do not expect are hailstorms!
We are always looking out for frost and there has been frost about, particularly worrying for our UK vineyards.
This week there has been some nasty weather about and hailstorms in some areas.
Hail is something that used to haunt me when I was a grower; back in 1978 after three 'testing years' I walked my orchards on a Monday with my agronomist and we marvelled at the potential crop, he said your Dad would have been so pleased and proud. That week I enjoyed the prospect of my patience and determination over the last 3 years finally 'coming good'
But Friday at around 5pm it 'hailed'
That year 60% of my apples were damaged, and the worst damage was on the outside of the tree where the potentially best apples wuld be in the sunshine!
At this time of the year, after blossom, petal fall and early fruitlet , growers are assessing the need for thinning,
Thinning can be by using sprays at the 8-12mm stage removing the weaker fruitlets (hopefully) or by hand thinning
Below: left. a bunch of fruitlets in need of thinning and right. the bunch after thinning; the most important fruitlet to remove is the King fruit in the centre.
Thinning by Hand When fruitlets set heavily (3-5 per bunch) it is essential to reduce the numbers to no more than two per bunch. That may be too many, but if necessary the total fruit numbers per tree can be reduced during the summer.
Always remove the King Fruit (the centre of the bunch) which is more likely to be of poor shape.
It's an important time of the year as growers try to thin their crops to meet the customer specification at harvest time.
Not an easy task: The customer size specification seeks fruit sized 63mm - 68mm as the optimum. Sold in packs of 6 apples. Smaller apples are generally sold in packs of 8. The aim is to get the fruit into the 6 packs as they are the highest price category and the most popular for customers. Bigger apples may be sold in 4 packs but do not sell the volume that 6 packs do.
This week isolated hail storms have damaged apple fruitlets in West Midlands and East Kent
Early hail can often 'grow out' e.g. if the damage is slight, the fruit can repair sufficiently to be marketable. however severe hail damage will not. Growers will hand thin and remove hail damaged fruits.
Below: Hail that fell in West Midlands and right. fruitlets damaged there this week
Below: Hail damaged fruitlets in Kent this week and leaves nocked off by the hailstorm
There has also been patches of frost about, particularly concerning for Vine growers, who have been taking precautions. Below some frost damage on small apple fruitlets.
Below: The Frost buster is becoming quite a popular method for frost protection Globally while candles are still popular in France
That is all for this week
Take care
The English Apple Man