Apple Trees - too much fruit

[Jitterbug]

I wonder whether anyone could please give me some advise please.

My apple tree has got so many little fruits on it that the branches are already starting to take the strain.  I am not sure what type of apple this is but I know that it is an eating one (I only got the lottie late last year).  It has a red tinge to the little apples. 

What I want to know is this - is it too late to remove some fruit or will I just have to prop the poor branches up to take all the weight. :-\

Jitterbug

[Jitterbug]

[coznbob]

If I were you I would thin the fruits now.

The tree should probably have a drop, but you want the tree to make it unscathed til then. ;D

[jennym]

You can remove some fruit now, but wouldn't advise doing a full thinning out as coznbob says, some will probably drop naturally. Take out some of the smallest, and disfigured ones. Leave the best.
Also, don't forget - these thinnings can be used! Not for eating, but they'll make a good apple jelly, tasting just like crab apple jelly. Waste not,want not etc  :)

[tim]

Good thinking, Jenny!

As said, I would start now BUT, if there is not a substantial 'June drop' by the end of this month, I would thin fully & severely. Which, in my book, is AT LEAST 4" between fruits.

Some folk are even more radical. http://www.mrs.umn.edu/pyg/tips/fruits/tip_1013.shtml

[gwynleg]

Jennym - any recipe for this apple jelly? Do you just use the same recipe as for cooking apple jelly? My tree is touching the ground all round from the weight of the fruit so think I will be thinning even after the June drop.
Thanks

[manicscousers]

I make an apple mint jelly, nice with cold meat..our apple tree's like yours, jennym, and it's not a keeper  ;D

[louise stella]

If the tree is so loaded that's it's in danger of breaking - thin now - better to lose some fruit than to lose the tree!  Either that or prop it up well and wait for the drop AND thin some more.  Not only will you risk the tree - it can also make it miss a flowering next year due to exhaustion - and trees can get in the habit and only fruit well alternate years!

Louise

[jennym]

Apple thinnings jelly:
Sharp unripe apples are best. I do about 3 kg at a time in my small jam pan.
Wash apples thoroughly, chop into smallish chunks, put in pan, don’t bother peeling or coring them. Cover apples with water, add juice of 2 lemons (approx 50ml) or cider vinegar, bring to boil, then simmer very slowly until apples soft and liquid pinkish brown. Mash lightly with potato masher. I then strain the resulting juice off through a series of finer and finer stainless steel sieves, but you could use a muslin jelly bag.
Test juice for pectin. Do this well away from the cooking area, by putting a few drops of juice into an eggcup, allow to coo.l and add about a teaspoonful of methylated spirits. If the juice forms a distinct jelly-like blob, there’s plenty of pectin, if not, boil down the juice in the pan until another test shows a stiff blob indicating pectin present.
Measure liquid by weight, add sugar by weight at 80% - so for 1kg of juice, add 800g of sugar.
Bring to boil quickly and boil to 104 degrees C until drips from a cool ladle jellify and side of pan jellifies stiffly. Skim off any scum quickly with a wet skimmer, or holed spoon. Jar quickly whilst hot.

[gwynleg]

Thanks Jennym - I shall have a go. Will have to find some meths!