This is after the time of the last natural drop. In thinning, leave only one apple per cluster and space the apples not closer than 6 inches apart. This may remove more than three-fourths of the apples on the tree. When thinning, leave the largest apple in the cluster unless it is damaged in some way. With just a few trees, this operation can be done by hand in a few hours.
Apples have many persistent pests.
Pests may be controlled through good cultural practices and when necessary chemical control. When cultural control of pests is ineffective or impractical, chemicals often are needed to control the pests. Failure to properly execute any of the above can result in inadequate control of insects or unsuccessful prevention of foliage diseases. A compressed air sprayer or knapsack sprayer is adequate for a limited number of dwarf trees. It is revised regularly.