Cloudy and warm weather in the next three days (April 30-May 2) along with the tree carbohydrate status and average daily temperatures as shown in Figure 1 all predict an excellent response to chemical thinners this week. Due to carbohydrate deficits, the carbohydrate thinning model recommends reductions in thinning material rates by 15% for Tuesday and Wednesday applications to avoid over-thinning.
Figure 1: The carbohydrate thinning model and weather forecast for the week of April 29
Note: The fruit size averages for Pink Lady, Gala, and Honeycrisp in Winchester are 7.1 mm, 6.2 and 5.3 mm, respectively.