Regular Bearing Of Fruit Trees

Categories: Fruit Growing

How can trees be induced to bear regularly instead of bearing

excessively on alternate years?



The most rational view is that in order to bear regularly the tree must

be prevented from overbearing by thinning of the fruit; also that the

moisture and plant-food supply must be regularly maintained, so that the

tree may work along regularly and not stop bearing one year in order to

accumulate vigor for a following year's crop. There is some reason to

believe that some trees which seem to overbear every year can be

prolonged in their profitable life and made to produce a moderate amount

of fruit of large size and higher value by sharp thinning to prevent

overbearing at any time. This is found clearly practicable in the cases

of the apricot, peach, pear, apple, table grape, shipping plum, etc.,

because the added value of larger fruits is greater than the cost of

removing the surplus.