Properly pruned fruit trees should have strong branches with wide crotches that can support as much fruit as the tree can bear. Sometimes, however, a bumper crop can threaten even the strongest branches. There are two solutions to this problem: culling some of the fruit or propping up the overladen branch
Culling Fruit
Culling, also called thinning, involves removing some of the fruit to ease the burden on a tree. Culling is usually reserved for trees with weaker limbs that bear most of their fruits on limb ends or trees with soft fruits, but it can be used on any fruit tree to lighten branches overladen with fruit. Culling also allows each individual fruit to grow into a proper shape and size and prevents bruising or damage by fruit rubbing against each other, thus preventing insect and disease problems. These fruits also share tree nutrients, so too many fruits will strain the tree's ability to support them. Some trees, such as citrus, will drop any fruit the tree cannot support, but other fruits require hand-culling. Fruits that require culling are
- Stone fruits, such as peaches, cherries, nectarines, plums, and apricots
- Apples
- Asian and most European pears
Propping Fruit Tree Limbs
Home gardeners are sometimes not concerned with fruit size or shape, and may choose to simply prop up the heavy limbs to save the limb and the fruit. To properly support a limb
- Wrap the entire limb to be supported to increase its flexibility and keep the support from digging into the bark.
- Find a sturdy board long enough to support the limb and cut a notch in the end deep enough to cradle the limb. Line the cradle with soft cloth to prevent rubbing during limbs moving in the wind.
- Place the board under the limb at a 20 degree angle near the center of the limb or toward the end, if additional support is needed there.
- Dig a small hole in the ground for the board if the soil is too hard for it to sink into naturally.
Combining Methods
You may want to use a combination of culling and propping to save a limb on a particularly prized tree. Removing a few non-bearing branches will also help lighten the load the limb has to bear.
If you are not comfortable culling or propping a limb yourself, find a local tree service with an arborist who is familiar with caring for fruit trees and have them do it. The cost of professional help is often worth not losing a treasured fruit tree. Contact AJ'S TREE AND LANDSCAPE to get started!
