How to Thin Fruit For a Better Harvest

 

Thinning fruit is one of the hardest jobs of a backyard orchardist. We get excited about the trees loaded with fruit and that nothing was lost to a late freeze. It can literally be painful to remove fruit from your trees; after all,  it's having fruit the goal?  So what is the purpose of thinning fruit?

Why Thin Fruit?

• Thinning increases fruit size
• Prevent the tree from overbearing.  If there is a large crop one year that may result in a small crop or no crop the following year
• To prevent limbs from breaking due to the weight of the fruit

Benefits from thinning?

Thinning balances the amount of fruit left on trees with the leaf surface that provides the energy to grow and ripen fruit. Leaving too much fruit on a tree creates a burden for the tree. It takes energy from other processes that occur during the period of fruit development. (OSU Extension Service)

When too much fruit is left on a tree, fruit bud production will be limited, causing a light crop the following year.

One of those processes is fruit bud development for the coming crop. When too much fruit is left on a tree, fruit bud production will be limited. The result is a light crop the following year. Also, when too many fruit are left on a tree, the competition among fruit for scarce nutrients will limit the size of each fruit. (OSU Extension Service)

Apple spur before thinning

How Much Fruit to Thin

Each fruit type requires a slightly different method.  Cherries do not require thinning.

Apples and pears

•  First thin to one fruit per spur.  A spur is the short, woody structure from which flowers and fruit grow.

• The goal is to end up with only one fruit for about every 6 inches of branch. If your tree is healthy and vigorous, it will have more than one spur every 6 inches along a branch. Thus, you will need to leave some spurs with no fruit on them. This helps to balance your crop for next year.

• When choosing which fruit to leave, look for the largest fruit. Fruit that is small or damaged should be dropped first.

Thin fruit as early as possible.

• Thin fruit as early as possible — before each apple reaches the size of a dime in diameter. This usually occurs within the first 20 days after petal fall. Removing these small fruit early will keep energy available for the fruit that remain and for fruit bud development for next year.

•  Be careful not to break off the spurs while thinning. Spurs will produce flowers and fruit for many years if not broken during thinning and harvesting.

Apple spur after thinning

Apricots, peaches, nectarines and plums

On stone fruit trees, the fruit is borne mostly on one-year-old wood rather than on spurs.

Plums are borne on both one-year-old wood and on small spurlike structures. 

When thinning these trees, try to leave about 6 to 8 inches between young fruit on the branch. 

Young fruit should be thinned within 30 days of petal drop.

Be advised that peaches, nectarines, cherries and plums naturally drop some fruit near early June. This is referred to as June drop, and it is the tree's way of lightening the crop load.

You may want to leave a little more fruit than you want for the final crop to see which fruit the tree intends to drop for you. With time you will learn how to adjust for the June drop.

As the fruit matures and branches begin to bow from the weight, you may need to take more fruit off each limb. This will protect your tree from limb breakage, especially when the tree is young. If you do not want to thin more fruit, you may need to use poles or props to hold up the limbs. (OSU Extension)

Cherries do not require thinning.

Sweet Corn

Roasted and slathered in butter and herbs, nothing says summer more than sweet corn on the cob. Because corn is in the Gramineae family which includes grains and grasses, there are a few cultural practices to keep in mind when planting this crop.

 

Planting Sweet Corn: Corn needs full sun and good fertile soil.  It is a heavy feeder especially of nitrogen.  It has relatively shallow roots for a tall plant so it is sensitive to moisture fluctuations.  Since corn is wind pollinated it needs special consideration when spacing the plantings. Corn needs to be planted in blocks or 3 rows double planted to ensure good pollination and ear development.  It can be planted 2 weeks after the last frost of your area when soil temperatures reach 60 degrees.  A second and third planting can be made on Mother's Day and Memorial Day.  Always direct seed corn into the garden.



Jubilee sweet corn



Silver Queen sweet corn

Varieties of Sweet Corn

Hybrid sweet corn is planted most by the home gardener. Most people love the high sugar content of these corns. On the seed packet or in the seed catalogs sweet corns are one of 3 types SU standard sugary, SE sugary enhanced, or SH2 super sweet corn.  There are differences in these corns and choosing what will grow in your planting will result in success. 

SU Standard Sugary:  

• Has an average level of sugar (8% to 18%) that becomes starch quickly after harvest.
• Both hybrid and open-pollinated types are available.
• It is the traditional type of sweet corn.
• Some describe sugary corn as having “old-fashioned” flavor.
• Its kernels are tender and creamy. They can taste chewy as the sugar becomes starch.
• It is important that you pick these varieties the same day that you plan to eat them.
• Gardeners who want to freeze or can corn prefer this type, as the flavorful, creamy kernels hold up to processing.  
• Isolate from Shrunken (sh) and Synergistic (sy) types.

Varieties: 

My favorite is Silver Queen with its white kernels, two to three ears on 7 ft stalks. Jubilee is a yellow corn with 2 ears on 7 ft stalks. Both are good fresh eating and freezing varieties.  These two varieties have proven productive and reliable in my garden They need 80- 92 days to mature and you need to stagger the planting so they don't cross pollinate.

SE Sugary Enhanced:  

• Sugary enhanced has an increased sugar level (30% to 35%), and the kernels are tenderer.
• The sugar is slower to become starch after harvest.
• Fully Sugary Enhanced (se+) types are even sweeter. They will still be sweet after three or more days in the refrigerator.
• Isolate from Shrunken (sh).

Varieties:  Bodacious, Kandy Corn, Delectable, Sugar Buns

SH2 Super Sweet Corn or Shrunken:  

• Also known as "Supersweet."
• Shrunken have two to three times the amount of sugar (40% to 50%) compared to Sugary varieties.
• They have a crispy texture.
• They can keep their sweetness for a week in the refrigerator.
• Some people find shrunken corn lacking in “corn” flavor, and they are less creamy.
• Seeds are smaller and lighter in weight, and look shrunken when dry.
• Isolate from all other sweet corn types.
• Cross-pollination between Shrunken (sh) and any other types will result in starchy, tough kernels.

Varieties:  Super Sweet Jubilee, Honey n Pearl, How Sweet It Is

Synergistic:  

• They have a combination of sweetness genes.
• All have at least one (se) gene.
• They may be combinations with (sh) or (su), or both.
• These varieties are very sweet, crisp, tender and creamy.
• Some also have longer storage life, lasting more than a week in the refrigerator.
• Sugar content in synergistic types take longer to build up than in sugary enhanced types, and kernels can be watery if picked too early.

Varieties:  Honey Select

There are many more varieties available just be sure you are picking a sweet corn that suits your purpose and that you harvest it properly.

Field Corns are dominate so if you are near a huge commercial field you will have to plant, if possible, so your corn does not tassel at the same time as the field corn.

Other types of corn:

Don't limit yourself to just sweet corn.  There are open pollinated, dent, flint, and popcorns.  Sweet corn is eaten in the immature milky stage while other corns are allowed to mature on the stalk until dried and used as a grain to grind into corn meal, animal feed, or popped.

Open pollinated:  If you prefer the old fashioned flavor of corn without the sweetness this is a good choice. One choice that is easy to find is Golden Bantam

Flint Corn:  Flint corn is also known as Indian corn.  There are colorful ornamental cultivars and those that can be used as polenta or ground into cornmeal.  Some varieties I have tried are Bloody Butcher, Hopi Blue, and Polenta

Polenta corn a flint corn

Popcorn:  Technically popcorn is a flint corn that is the best option for popping.  So you are not disappointed movie popcorn is the snowball type and pops bigger than mushroom type popcorns.  There are lots of fun popcorns to try in a variety of colors.  They are actually becoming popular as a gourmet treat.

Dent Corn:  As dent corn dries, a dent is formed in the top of the kernel.  Dent corns are used as animal feed, for corn syrup, and used to make biodegradable plastics.  This probably isn't the choice for the home gardener but and option if you have livestock.

Squash is a good companion with corn.

The tassel which produces the pollen.

Pollination:

Before planting  you need to understand how corn is pollinated.  All corn varieties are wind pollinated and will cross pollinate.  Pollen is produced by the tassel of the corn which is the male part.  A good healthy corn will produce one or more ears along the stalk of the corn.  This is the female part and includes the ear and the emerging silks.  The pollen must go from the tassel to the silk.  This is accomplished with the help of the wind.  Each pollinated silk becomes a kernel on the ear of corn.

The silks of the ear.  Each individually pollinated silk
becomes a kernel on the cob.

Corn pollen is extremely light and can be carried long distances by the wind.  As I mentioned all corn will cross pollinate.  If your corn is tasseling at the same time as your neighbors or a commercial field then chances are there will be cross pollination.

Concerning your neighbor who is probably planting sweet corn. If cross pollination occurs eating quality is affected.  If SU, SE, SU2 are planted together and tassel at the same time they will cross pollinate..  SE and sh2 types are recessive to su types.  Field corn, Indian, and popcorn are dominant.  If planting more than one variety they must have different maturity dates and tasseling times.

Watering and Fertilizing

Sweet corn requires regular consistent watering.  Watering is critical during tasseling, silk development, and ear formation.  Water stress results in stunted growth and poor flavor.

Work a dry fertilizer and compost into the soil before planting. Corn is a heavy feeder. Side dress corn when it is a foot tall with bone meal.  Side dress again when the silks appear.  Also fertilize with fish emulsion at these times.  Mulch when plant are young to keep the wind from drying the soil out.

Corn Earworms

Spinosad and Neem are effective against Corn Earworms.  Female moths lay eggs on tips of corn silks.  The larvae feed off the silks and move on down eating kernels.  They emerge and then pupate in the soil.  You can have 1-4 generations of these lovely creatures. The critical time to spray is when the silks begin to dry.  Focus the spray on the tips of corn and around the base of the corn.

Aphids

Aphids can also be a problem.  An aphid infestation will result in lots of honey dew and can encourage the growth of black mold. The honeydew will attract wasps. While this rarely affects the quality of the corn because it is protected by a tight husk, it weakens the corn and is not pleasant to work around. 

Spinosad and Neem Oil are effective for both of these problems.

Ready to harvest with dry silks, tilted stock and plumb.

Harvesting

Harvest when the ears are plump, silks are dry, and ears tips out.  Enjoy! Sweet corn does not store well in the field.  It does not store long after it has been harvested.  The sugars turn to starch and that great sweet corn  flavor is lost. 

I remove the remaining stalk and some husks and keep it in the refrigerator but don't leave it there long.  Enjoy it fresh. 

To extend the season, I suggest planting two varieties and staggering the plantings so you can enjoy fresh corn longer.  The two varieties I like are Silver Queen and Jubilee.  Both are great for eating fresh and they both process well.  You can freeze corn on the cob or can it in a pressure canner.

How to Transplant Tomatoes?

 

One of the most popular summer crops to grow is tomatoes Nothing tastes better than a vine ripe tomato from your own garden. With so many colors, tastes, sizes, shapes and uses, what's not to love about tomatoes!

                                     Growing Tomatoes

 So it's important to plant those transplants you've invested in properly.  In most zones tomatoes are planted as transplants because of the length of time needed for them to mature and ripen before a freeze.  I grow my own transplants so that I can get the varieties I want plus if started properly they seem to be healthier.

                                     Starting Seeds Indoors 

If purchasing transplants from the store, look for plants with 4 to 6 leaves and good green color.  Avoid leggy, limp transplants with curled or discolored leaves. Bigger is not better: these transplants often struggle to get established and suffer from wind damage and sun damage because there is not an established root system to support the amount of top growth.

A good complete organic fertilizer to use.

Prepping the Bed

Ok, so lets get those tomatoes transplants in the ground!  Hopefully you have prepped your garden beds.  I do this by sprinkling a complete organic fertilizer on the bed and covering it with 1-2" of compost.  If it is an established bed with a good soil then that's all I do.  If you have not been adding compost to your beds each year then gently turn the soil over to work the compost into the bed.

These holes for tomatoes transplants are at least twice a deep and wide as the root ball.

Digging the Holes

Since tomatoes will be planted deeper than the level they are in the pot, I dig a hole twice as wide and twice as deep as the potted tomato.  Add a small sprinkle of complete organic fertilizer and a handful of  a finished plant based compost.  Then water the hole, let it sink in, and repeat this a few times.

A small amount of organic fertilizer and compost is added to the hole and watered in.

Prepping the Tomatoes

I always make a label and record what I am planting and make a layout in my garden journal.  This info is important because if you really love a certain variety and can't remember what you planted that would be sad.  Also if you enjoy heirlooms but find certain ones struggle in your area then you don't want to make the mistake of growing or buying them again.

                                 Keeping a Garden Journal

Planting the Tomato Transplants

Once that info is recorded, I gently remove the tomato from the pot.  Do not water the pots prior to planting so the dirt stays intact when you remove the transplant.  I cut off the lower leaves with scissors. Do not tear them off it will damage the stem.

  We are going to plant the tomato plant a couple inches deeper then it was in the pot.  This is done because the stem has undifferentiated meristem cells which will produce roots if buried.  This helps establish a strong root system that can support the larges vines and fruits of tomatoes.

After Transplanting

After transplanting water the tomato well, mulch around the plant and water again.  In order to protect the transplant from the intense sun and to protect it from disease, we will cover the plant. Tomatoes also need to be caged to support their growth and keep vines off the ground.  I like folding square tomato cages.  They are sturdy and collapsible for storage. 

                               Mulching for a Healthier Soil

A little shade is beneficial for all transplants until they are established.  While the cover is removed once most plants are established, tomatoes do best if left covered until they grow out of the top of the tomato cage. Research has shown that covering or shading tomatoes is very effective in preventing curly top.  

So curly top is a virus that causes the loss of lots of  tomato plants.  The virus is vectored by the leaf hopper.  Leaf hoppers live happily in the grasses or meadows but as the grasses dry up they look for greener pastures- your tomatoes.  They can carry the curly top virus and when they feed on plants they spread the disease.  There are no cures for viruses so the infected plants need to be pulled and disposed of properly.  You cannot prune off leaves etc.  because viruses are systemic throughout the whole plant. Covering the plants seems to make it more difficult for leaf hoppers to find them.

                                         Preventing Curly Top

Caging and Covering Tomatoes

After tomatoes are in the ground, prepare a cage to cover the tomato.  I use a light to medium weight floating row cover cloth to make shades for the tomatoes. Floating row covers allow a % of light to penetrate and are used to protect from insect damage and frost damage. Cut the row cover cloth a couple inches bigger then your cage.  Use clothes pins to secure.  Start with the shade cloth as close to the tomato plant as possible.  Move the cloth up as the plants grow.  Remove completely when the tomato is growing out of the cage.

Helpful Hints

• Fertilize with fish emulsion when  3-4 weeks after transplanting and when flowers appear
• Avoid watering the leaves of tomatoes, it spreads disease
• Prune off lower leaves as they yellow.  Also prune off any leaves that look diseased put them in the garbage not on the ground.
• If you start your own tomatoes, start a couple extras of each variety you like.  If you do lose a plant to curly top or something else you have back ups to replace them.  Be sure to pot up the tomatoes you don't immediately plant.
• Good ideas for companion plants around tomatoes are garlic which is harvested early, and then replace the garlic with carrots.

How To Plant Trees and Shrubs

Weigela an early summer blooming  shrub with arching branches loaded with blooms.

Nothing is more discouraging than researching and selecting a tree or shrub only to have it die unexpectedly.  Whether a fruit tree or landscape tree, if planted improperly, it will deteriorate slowly.  There is a lot of misinformation on planting trees.  So maybe this post will set the record straight.

Trees can be purchased as bareroot, container-grown, or bailed and burlapped.  I prefer bare root trees but that is not always an option.  Here are some things to consider.

Spiraea clusters of white flowers.

Container grown:  For convenience, many nurseries are growing trees in container rather than the ground.  This can create some problems.  If the tree or shrub is left in the container too long the roots may begin to grow in a circular pattern.  When the tree is planted, the roots continue this growth pattern and the result is a tree that eventually declines and dies.  When purchasing a container tree, pull the root ball from the container and look for circling roots.  You can also poke around the soil feeling for circling roots.

Spirea blooms

Bare-Root Trees:  Most bare-root trees are purchased by mail order from nurseries in late winter or early spring.  They are usually shipped at the appropriate time based on your planting zone.  They will come to you with the roots packed in moss or shredded newspaper and in a plastic bag.  When you receive them, they are dormant.  Immediately open the package.  If you are not planting immediately, then moisten the root ball and keep the tree in a dark cool place.  

When planting, remove the packing and put the roots in a bucket of water just prior to planting.  Position the roots and plant at the same level as it was planted in the nursery.  To determine the planting depth, look for a darker area of bark which is an indication of the soil line.  I have had tremendous success in planting bare root trees both landscape and fruit trees.  I highly recommend going this route if it is available to you.

Balled and Burlapped Tree:  The key here is purchasing from a reputable nursery that is experienced in handling this type of tree. Sometimes mechanical planting results in the tree being planted to deeply and then when dug up mechanically roots will be severed.  

When you place the tree in the planting hole remove the burlap and any ties and wrapping.  Sometimes it is difficult to remove all wrapping but do your best.  Only untreated burlap will decay so if left on it will inhibit root growth.  Even untreated burlap takes years to decay so it is best to remove it.

The following is taken from Better Homes and Garden New Complete Guide to Gardening.  It is a great summary of the latest proven planting methods.

New Method:  Dig a wide tree hole no deeper than the existing root ball.  This prevents the soil from settling.

Old Method:  Dig a wide and deep hole.  This often caused the tree to settle and sink down.

Gooseberry an edible landscape shrub with thorns.

New Method:  Refill the planting hole with soil you removed from the planting hole.  This encourages roots to grow outward from the planting hole.

Old Method:  Lots of organic matter used to be added to the planting hole.  Many times the roots grew in a circular manner never leaving the hole.

New Method:  Remove all burlap from the root ball.

Old Method:  Leave burlap on root ball.  Synthetic burlap does not decay and will inhibit root growth.

Honeysuckle

New Method:  Only stake a tree if it cannot stand by itself.  If staking only do so for a year and make the ties lose.  Some movement strengthens the trunk.

Old Method:  Rigidly stake all new trees and leave stakes on for years.  Unstaked trees that sway with the wind are stronger and more resistant to breakage.

Peony

New Method:  Do not prune branches to make up for root loss.  Only prune damaged limbs.

Old Method:  In the past 1/3 of the top was removed to compensate for root loss at planting time.  New research shows this is unnecessary.  The buds and leaves will produce hormones that stimulate new root growth.

New Method:  Do not wrap tree trunks.  Painting with a 1:1 water and flat indoor latex paint can be done only if the tree is exposed to reflected sun and heat from concrete, pavement, or snow. This can be done in the fall.

Old Method:  Wrapped trees cause damage to bark and harbor insects.

One last note.  Do your research when choosing a tree.  It is a long term investment.  Be sure to know the mature size, soil and moisture requirements, durability in wind, growth rate, lifespan, and whether seed pods will be a problem.  Be sure to look at fall and summer color.

Shrubs are also an investments. Consider suckering, pruning requirements, and pest and disease resistance. Both trees and shrubs can add to the beauty and enjoyment of your landscape or cause your grief if you do not do some research.

Nanking Cherries

The nanking cherry is both ornamental and edible.  It is beautiful and provides small bright red cherries that are great in jams, syrups, and jellies.

The nanking cherry also know as the Manchu cherry, can be a twiggy shrub or pruned as a small tree.  It is useful in windbreaks and edible landscapes.

Very easy to grow, the nanking cherry is also hardy.  It is both cold tolerant Zone 2 and heat tolerant.  It tolerates winds and dryness.  If grown as a shrub it will be from 6-10 feet wide and tall.  It can be pruned into a small tree but does sucker a lot.

The white powder is kaolin clay or Surround that acts as a insect deterrent and is used in organic orchards

The fruit ripens in early summer here in zone 5.  It is densely packed on the branches and a beautiful bright red. It lacks a stem like pie or sweet cherries and grows along the lateral branches.  The fruit is marble sized.  

To obtain the juice heat the cherries until soft and strain the juice through cheesecloth. Allow the juice to rest overnight in the fridge. This will separate the clear juice from heavier sediment that will settle at the bottom. Pour just the clear juice to use the in jellies and syrups.  

Juicing is easy just wash and add a small amount of water to the bottom of a pot.  Simmer, mashing the cherries with a potato masher on occasion.  Then strain through a jelly bag.

This little ruby red fruit is so easy to harvest because it is so densely packed.  Just hold a bucket under the branch.   Birds love this cherry so make sure you beat them to the harvest.  You can eat them fresh if you like a tart tangy cherry.  I prefer to use them in jellies and syrups. This jelly and syrup is one of my favorites.

Nanking cherries are prone to aphids so be sure to use a dormant oil and then monitor for aphids. If aphids become a problem spray with Neem oil and a product with spinosad before the leaves begin to curl.