Each year, a significant percentage of fruiting wood should be removed. Quick bud thinning can also be accomplished by running loppers on the underside of branches to remove pendant buds. It's difficult to know for sure what kind of crop load Lapins can carry without detrimentally affecting fruit size and quality. There is no reason to assume, however, that Lapins can carry a larger crop than Bing. Clustering Allowed to grow naturally, Lapins will tend to produce large clusters of fruit at the base of last season's wood.
Interior cherries are often poorly colored and misshapen.
Brown rot can easily become established and spread rapidly through these clusters. In addition, clustered cherries are hard to pick and are easily damaged, increasing the potential for pitting. The tendency to cluster can be reduced by heading all new shoots in half. Consistent heading encourages production of new leaves near the maturing fruit and causes spur development throughout the branch length. Gibberellic acid Lapins generally tend to be somewhat softer than Bing, and need a gibberellic acid treatment to reach maximum quality.