Thinning in organic fruit growing

Thinning means the removal of excess blossoms or fruits. The aims of thinning are firstly to prevent biennial bearing and secondly to improve internal and external fruit quality. 

One of the most important aims of thinning is to prevent biennial bearing, i.e. to maintain regular fertility. 

Biennial bearing can also be caused by a late frost, which destroys all the flower buds in spring. Biennial bearing is a common problem in apples, pears and plums, but is virtually unknown in cherries. 

The external quality, and thus the price, of fruit depends to a great extent on the size of the fruit. A producer who wants to achieve good returns for his fruit has to produce consignments with fruit of good quality and a high proportion of large-sized fruit. Normally fruit commands a higher price on the market as quality and size increases. Fruit sizes which are typical for the cultivar can only be achieved with an optimum fruit crop load, however. 

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