Rye:
Not at all sure about the degree of magic (albiet I'm there is some
involved) involved in pollination/fruit set. However with Bud.9 and to some
extent M.9, one can literally stunt (called runting) a tree by allowing
excessive fruit to stay on a young tree. Especially with Bud. 9 (whose
dwarfing degree may be variety specific) I've seen this happen in many
eastern orchards to such an extent that such trees never filled their
allotted row space.
Good luck. (And there is a lot of luck in thinning..........which may
be called magic).
ed, So. Indiana ....near heaven...
2011/3/14 Rye <[email protected]>
> Thanks Bill and also Bill S, sounds like I can safely remove flowers to
> promote wood growth. I.E. what I'm reading in to this is, there is no magic
> that pollination and fruit set performs that is beneficial to young trees'
> future health/fruit production.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Rye Hefley
>
> Future Farmers Marketer
>
> So. Cal.
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Fleming, William <[email protected]>
> To: Apple-crop discussion list <[email protected]>
> Sent: Mon, Mar 14, 2011 7:14 am
> Subject: Re: [apple-crop] Manually dropping fruit from young trees
>
> A lime-sulfur/fish oil spray just after full bloom is a common organic
>
>
> alternative to hand thinning that works well. It works well enough that many
>
>
> conventional growers use it also. I suppose if a person wanted to burn all
>
>
> flowers off a tree they would need two of these caustic sprays just before and
>
>
> after full bloom.
>
>
> There used to be an excellent conventional flower thinner that lost
> registration
>
>
> many years ago, think it was called Eligtal. I haven't kept up with any
>
>
> replacements for it.
>
>
>
>
> Bill Fleming
>
>
>
>
> Montana State University
>
>
>
>
> Western Ag Research Center
>
>
>
>
> 580 Quast Ln
>
>
>
>
> Corvallis, Montana
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
>
>
> From: [email protected]
> [mailto:[email protected]
> <[email protected]?>]
>
>
> On Behalf Of Bill Shoemaker
>
>
> Sent: Saturday, March 12, 2011 6:31 AM
>
>
> To: Apple-crop discussion list
>
>
> Subject: Re: [apple-crop] Manually dropping fruit from young trees
>
>
>
>
> Rye
>
>
>
>
> Its common for many commercial growers to do just that. Rather than hand
>
>
> thinning though, they use chemical thinners, such as NAA and Sevin. Depending
> on
>
>
> weather conditions, rates and bloom load, it will take out a percentage of the
>
>
> flowers.
>
>
>
>
> Bill
>
>
>
>
> ---- Original message ----
>
>
> >Date: Fri, 11 Mar 2011 20:29:54 -0500 (EST)
>
>
> >From: Rye <[email protected]>
>
>
> >Subject: [apple-crop] Manually dropping fruit from young trees
>
>
> >To: [email protected]
>
>
> >
>
>
> > Why is it customary to allow fruit to form and then
>
>
> > drop it when it is small, rather than removing
>
>
> > flowers so the tree doesn't "waste" energy forming
>
>
> > any fruit at all? Curious if tree growth can be
>
>
> > increased without harmful effects by removing
>
>
> > flowers before they form fruit.
>
>
> >
>
>
> > Thanks,
>
>
> > Rye Hefley
>
>
> > Future Farmers Marketer
>
>
> > So. Cal.
>
>
> >________________
>
>
> >_______________________________________________
>
>
> >apple-crop mailing list
>
>
> >[email protected]
>
>
> >http://virtualorchard.net/mailman/listinfo/apple-crop
>
>
> William H Shoemaker, UI-Crop Sciences
>
>
> Sr Research Specialist, Food Crops
>
>
> St Charles Horticulture Research Center
>
>
> 535 Randall Road St Charles, IL 60174
>
> 630-584-7254; FAX-584-4610
>
>
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>
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>
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