Patty:

Your getting like me. So many varieties you'll have pollen for anything. I'd say relax and let the bees handle the rest.

Heh, heh :-) Fortunately, we have a gazillion bees here, and they are very busy. My yard has so many bees due to all the rosemary and lavendar (as well as many succulents and California natives), that I can't imagine they can't make it over the house from the Cripps in the back, to this new Myra Fuji in the front. Also, the guys at Cummins Nursery felt that the other 5 varieties I'll have planted in the front along with the Myra should do just fine as cross-pollinators. I'm going to have to figure out how to make one of Konrad's cool cider machines with all my future apples. Konrad, if you feel so inclined to build me one, I would be in the market, lol!

Patty S.

Patty:

You may need to hire help to thin all that fruit. Seriously I spend 40-60 hrs thinning mine. It's not an easy job.

I've spent about 5 hours so far, just thinning the earlier stuff so far (that's a good sign for me, though - I'm getting better fruit set this year). Mainly, my peaches and nectarines are the one that are huge setters, followed by my Anna and Golden Dorsett apples. Some of my flat peaches/nectarines set so much, it is staggering. Just on the Sweet Bagel alone, it took almost an hour. And, looks like I'm going to have a "real" crop of Minnie Royal and Royal Lee cherries. So glad I took my trees down significantly. Don't think I have as mature an orchard as you've got going, but next year I should be very busy for sure this time of year, thinning out quite a bit more!

Patty S.