I'm hoping these go on to develop into the same delicious fruits that we experienced for the first time last year.
But there is a problem - apparently peach fruitlets are supposed to be thinned out so that there is a hand's breadth between each of the fruits.
Typically the fruits on our tree are growing in pairs or clusters of three. Others are much closer together than even the tiniest handspan.
So we have a dilemma - to thin or not to thin? How can we bear to pick off prospective peaches?
You may remember that our peach tree was sent to us by mistake as we had ordered a nectarine. Thompson & Morgan sent us a nectarine as a replacement when I informed them of the mistake. See here for the full story. We also decided to add an apricot to our collection.
The apricot and nectarine trees are both planted in large pots and are growing really well although neither have fruit this year. The apricot didn't flower so it is hardly surprising. The nectarine did have a few flowers but at the time it was newly planted and in the greenhouse having a bit of protection and I obviously didn't make as good a job of pollinating as the insects do.
Sorry the photos are a bit dull but it is a bit dull! So what would you do thin or not?
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I wouldn't thin them out. I find that very often the trees thin out the fruit themselves anyway. There is (always) some fruit drop at some stage. But that's my very personal opinion, obviously. It will be interesting to hear what you decide. :)
ReplyDeleteThat's really my personal opinion too but I don't thin any fruit!
DeletePersonally I would let nature take its course and see if the tree keeps them all. However my more rational side would ask this question: Would you prefer a couple of large peaches or more smaller ones as I suspect that is what the trade off will be.
ReplyDeleteSmall is beautiful Liz. I don't mind what size they are as long as they taste good
DeleteI wouldn't thin them. I'd wait and see what happens this year. If the fruit are not much good, then you could try thinning them next year. As Liz says, Nature usually knows best, and if the tree feels it cannot support much fruit some of them will fall off.
ReplyDeleteThe tree isn't exactly loaded Mark - it's just that the fruit is close together. So far though I'm happy that the three of you agree with us!
DeleteI wouldn't thin them. Trees and plants can usually look after themselves and if they need to be thinned, nature will take it's course. Hope they all come good for you.
ReplyDeleteSo do I Jo. Must say I am secretly pleased that the consensus is to leave the fruit on the tree.
DeleteI would leave them to fend for themselves but check regularly in case any of those really close to each other start to spoil..if this happens I would then pick off as it can end up spoiling fruit close to it. But yes I would leave nature to take it's course as a general rule...after all it managed perfectly happily before we started sticking our noses in it!!
ReplyDeleteYes you may get bigger fruit if you thinned...but this can also sometimes make the fruit tasteless.
That's sort of confirming what I thought I would do Tanya. Must admit though the fruit last year (only about six) were full sized peaches and certainly weren't tasteless. Made you wonder whether the things you buy in the supermarkets are actually the same sort of fruit!
DeleteI really don't know what has jappened to shop bought fruit now it's so tasteless and I don't think this has always been the case!
Decisions, decisions, I rarely thin fruit out but last year I took bucketloads of plums off the tree - this year there are no plums at all to thin. If I were you I'd leave them all this year and if it fruits next year maybe you'll be a little braver.
ReplyDeleteOur plums seem to fruit every other years Elaine so it probably wasn't the thinning to blame. It's rather a case of being greedy rather than not being brave though.
DeleteThe gardening TV programmes I watch say to thin peaches. But I would probably leave them as I couldn't bare to remove them from the tree!
ReplyDeleteThat's where I am too Kelli. The experts say to thing and the heart says no.
DeleteCan you try thinning some branches and leave others? I always like an experiment so I would go for that option.
ReplyDeleteWe could but to be honest there aren't really that many branches. I'm telling myself that thinning is for when the tree is loaded. If the fruit starts to rub against one another and spoil I think I may use this as telling me to thin.
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