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Several people at our booth at the Almelund Threshing Show expressed concern their apples are small this summer. Some were wondering if it was because the trees weren't getting enough fertilizer or water. Reports state that the small size is consistent in orchards in sandy and heavy soils, and in irrigated and non irrigated orchards, trees with full crops and trees with a small crop. Another report states that small fruit size does appear to be a bigger problem in Central Minnesota.

One possible cause of the small fruit size is poor pollination. If you remember, we had a cold, wet, and late spring. Apparently, cold weather during pollination can reduce the number of seeds in the apples. Apples with fewer seeds will be smaller, especially if some of the five seed compartments in the apple have no seeds. An apple where only two of the five seed compartments have seeds will be small and lopsided.

The second cause of small fruit size is cool weather after bloom. The final size of the apple is determined by the number of cells in the apple and the size of each cell. Cell size is determined by the weather and soil fertility during the summer. Cell number is partly determined by the weather in the first week after bloom.

If the nights are warm during the period of cell division, the apple will make many cells and the apples will be large. If nights are cool during cell division, the apples will have fewer cells, and the apples will be small. Apples grown at higher elevations, where the nights are cool, are smaller than apples grown at lower elevations. Higher elevation apples also tend to be more firm than low elevation apples.

So, if you are disappointed with the size of your apples this year, hope for a warmer spring next year.

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