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.