Monty Don has issued an urgent summer gardening tip for fruit trees, advising gardeners to manually thin fruit to improve crop quality. The gardening expert explains that the 'June Drop'—when trees shed excess fruit—is normal, but intervention can yield superior results.
Understanding the June Drop
According to Monty Don, fruit trees require attention in June as they begin dropping numerous small fruits. He confirms this is 'perfectly normal' and describes it as the familiar 'June Drop'. He clarifies that the tree reduces its load to successfully mature remaining fruit, but it doesn't distinguish between which fruit it releases, potentially discarding unripe ones.
Thinning Technique for Better Quality
Don recommends carefully removing the smallest fruit from the tree before the tree does it itself. He advises limiting each spur to just two fruits per cluster, ensuring they are not in contact with one another. This allows fruit to develop and ripen more effectively while reducing branch damage risk. He notes in a blog post: 'You can always buy average apples, but if you grow them yourself, then you should always aim for them to be as good as possible.'
Lawn Care Advice for June
Don also suggests adjusting lawn maintenance in June. He recommends allowing grass to grow longer, as his own lawn is 'planted up with spring bulbs and wildflowers'. He says: 'This looks beautiful and is so much better for insects and all forms of wildlife than a neatly mown lawn.' He advises not mowing until after the summer solstice on June 21, to maximise growth performance for next year.
