The ‘June drop’ allows a tree to regulate its fruit

Apple trees will soon begin to drop some of their unripe fruit. There’s little to fear, writes Fiann Ó Nualláin, as this natural shedding can ensure a healthier crop come harvest time.

I never know whether ‘the June drop’ sounds more like a medical euphuism or an English folk group — either way it conjures something to be avoided at all costs.

At least any time I’ve heard it spoken of — it’s as a calamity. Yet this natural occurrence is actually to the benefit of the fruiting tree.