Removing small apples from old tree

[littlemoney]

I have 2 apples trees both nearly 70 years old about 20 foot high with a 25 foot diameter. The variety is Monarch which is a cooker. The June drop didn't really happen and one one tree in particular I have lots of small apples about 1.5 inches across. On those branches with the small apples the leaves don't appear as vigouous either. There are also bigger ones on the tree in another part of the tree but not so many as usual.

The apples are not mishapen so I don't think it is Rosy apple aphid

Will it help the tree if I remove these small apples to reduce the stress on the tree due to the lack of water.

Is it worth watering which I can do and if I water do I water near the trunk or at the drip line as I would prefer not to loose the tree. Thanks.

[nickdub]

Yep knock 'em all off if you can - I use a long stick to knock one's off which are high up in my trees - watch out you don't get a crick in your neck.

[Jungle Jane]

I’d give it some water as we’ve had no rain for nearly two months or something,it’s too dry & any water added will be good for the roots,some people move a sprinkler around for a slow soaking. Maybe the fruit have stalled because of water shortage,I don’t know?

[littlemoney]

Yep knock 'em all off if you can - I use a long stick to knock one's off which are high up in my trees - watch out you don't get a crick in your neck.

Some are too attached for a long stick, the little so and so's. Have to get the steps out and cut off those I can easily reach.

[nickdub]

My big trees are over 20' high and I don't enjoy ladder work, so I just smash them off if necessary - obviously you do damage it a bit and bust the odd spur, but that's much better than leaving on too many fruit, as that usually means the whole tree goes in to biennial bearing mode.

[nickdub]

I’d give it some water as we’ve had no rain for nearly two months or something,it’s too dry & any water added will be good for the roots,some people move a sprinkler around for a slow soaking. Maybe the fruit have stalled because of water shortage,I don’t know?

Watering isn't going to help now, if the weather has been anything like what we've had here. Once the fruit stops growing due to drought, you've more or less had it for that crop for that year in terms of making it larger.

I did start a thread on watering fruit trees on here about a month or so ago, so people could take warning to start watering, if they felt it necessary.