Gardeners across Britain are being let in on a revolutionary yet simple secret that could transform their autumn harvests for years to come. It involves resisting the urge to harvest every last apple and instead, making a strategic choice during pruning.
According to renowned gardening experts, including the prestigious Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), the key to a prolific harvest next year lies in the actions you take this season. The advice is surprisingly straightforward: when pruning your apple trees, you must identify and leave two specific fruits behind.
The 'King Fruit' Method Explained
These aren't just any random apples. The first one you should spare is known as the 'king fruit'. This is the central, and often the first, apple that forms at the very heart of a cluster. It's typically larger and matures faster than the surrounding fruits.
The second fruit to leave is a healthy, well-formed apple located on a strong, young branch that grew this season. This carefully selected fruit acts as a signal to the tree, encouraging it to direct its energy and resources into producing a bounty of blossoms and fruit on that same branch the following spring.
Why This Simple Trick Works
This technique is grounded in the science of how fruit trees behave. By leaving these two signature fruits, gardeners are essentially tricking the tree's natural cycle.
- Prevents Biennial Bearing: Apple trees can fall into a pattern of cropping heavily one year and then taking a break the next, known as biennial bearing. This method helps regulate the tree's energy, promoting a more consistent harvest annually.
- Encourages New Growth: Selecting a fruit on a new branch tells the tree that this is a productive and valuable limb, stimulating further growth and fruit production in that area.
- Maximises Yield: This targeted approach is far more effective than random pruning and can lead to a significantly larger and higher-quality harvest the following autumn.
So, before you gather every apple from your tree this year, take a moment to choose your two champions. This small act of restraint is the gardening equivalent of investing for the future, promising a much sweeter return next season.
