Garden Q&A: Why's the fruit from my apple tree so small this year?

When a tree sets a heavy crop, it spreads its energy across too many fruits, writes Peter Dowdall. File picture

Question

My apple tree produced lots of fruit this year, but the apples are all quite small. Would thinning them out earlier have made a difference, and is there anything I can do to improve the size and quality in future years?

Answer

Yes, thinning does help. When a tree sets a heavy crop, it spreads its energy across too many fruits, and each one ends up smaller. 

Removing some of the apples early in summer allows the tree to put more goodness into the ones that remain, but that’s only part of the story.

Size and quality are also affected by how well the tree can draw on water and nutrients during the season. We enjoyed a very dry summer and autumn so far this year, and the fruits need moisture to plump up in size.

Improving your soil with organic matter, garden compost, well-rotted manure, or even biochar, helps it hold moisture during dry spells and keeps the roots healthier.

Winter pruning will also make a big difference, balancing growth so the tree produces fewer but larger, better-quality apples next year.

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