| Guidelines on how to Grow Large Fruit | | | | you friends come round, having a tree that is loaded |
| For many beginners at fruit tree growing, the biggest | | | | with fruit is NOT the best way to encourage large |
| disappointment is that their first crop of fruit is | | | | fruit! |
| mostly composed of small fruit instead of the nice | | | | In many cases, the problem of 'small fruit' might be |
| large plump fruit seen in the local greengrocers. This is | | | | due to events that are beyond the control of the |
| frequently upsetting for those new to fruit tree | | | | fruit grower. Weather, for example, can influence the |
| growing, and can often deter them from making any | | | | growth of fruit dramatically. If there is a cold spell |
| further efforts in this direction. If this applies to you, | | | | during the early growth stages of the fruit it can |
| relax, it isn't your fault, it is quite natural for this to | | | | cause serious growth retardation to all the affected |
| happen. If you want those large juicy fruits you CAN | | | | fruit trees. Even a sustained spell of bad cloud can |
| have them without genetic engineering or non-organic | | | | affect fruit growth as it reduces the trees ability to |
| fertilizers. Its not magic, it just needs a little | | | | provide nutrients to the growing fruit. In severe |
| experience and some advanced fruit growing tips and | | | | cases, or when many 'weather shocks' happen |
| techniques. | | | | simultaneously, the tree may actually drop the fruit |
| The first step, which needs to completed when the | | | | far too early, which will result in small fruit that is also |
| fruit tree is still young, is to carry out a little | | | | probably damaged by the fall. In cases where |
| 'fruit-thinning'. The reason this is done is based on the | | | | weather, disease or pest infestation appear to be |
| idea that the fruit tree has a fixed amount of 'fruit | | | | affecting your fruit trees, you may be able to save |
| growing resources' and if you allow too many fruits | | | | the day by doing some more fruit thinning allowing |
| to remain on the tree, they will end up small and | | | | your fruit tree to allocate more of its resources to |
| stunted. Remove some of these early and you will | | | | the remaining fruit. |
| ensure that the ones that remain are plump and juicy. | | | | Having said all the above, there is no substitute for |
| Opinions differ, but a good starting point is to | | | | experience and experimentation. Assuming you have |
| remove approximately one third of the baby fruit in | | | | a mature tree that is well-established, you can |
| order to encourage the fruit tree to grow the | | | | experiment with different techniques and degrees of |
| remaining fruit to a large size. | | | | thinning until you get the results that you desire. |
| The second fruit growing tip is 'fruit spacing'. For | | | | Don't be afraid to ask from fruit growers who are |
| most fruit trees, whether apple, pear, orange or | | | | more experienced. Their are many books available, |
| lemon, the health and size of each fruit is heavily | | | | and your local library os sure to ahve some the |
| dependant on how far away it is from the next | | | | cover the fruit that you are particularly interested in. |
| nearest fruit. When you are removing the baby fruit, | | | | If you remain open-minded and keep experimenting, |
| in the fruit thinning process mentioned above, try to | | | | you will soon be producing large and juicy fruits that |
| ensure that each fruit is at least 6 inches away from | | | | will impress friends and family alike. |
| the adjacent fruit. Although it might look good when | | | | |