Developing seeds inside apples send strong signals to apple shoots telling them not to set flower buds for the next year. Thinning reduces this signal. Photo courtesy of Steven McArtney Biennial bearers are the bane of apple growers, but the industry is growing more of them. Many newer varieties, like Honeycrisp, Pacific Rose, Fuji, Cameo, and Braeburn, are prone to alternate light and heavy cropping. Biennial bearing can have a pronounced negative economic effect on orchard productivity and fruit quality, says Dr. Steven McArtney, southeast apple specialist at North Carolina State University. Cumulative yields are lower, and fruit on light-cropping […]