Q.apricot tree
Why are some apricots falling off the tree before they are ripe? They have been thinned. This morning 20 or 30 have fallen off. There is still a lot of fruit on the trees that I would like to see become ripe.
Natural thinning of trees is normal in cases of over bearing. If a tree has too much fruit for it to handle, it will shed some of its fruit (even if you have already thinned). Premature fruit drop can also be due to poor pollination, a lack of nutrients, or an insect problem. If the tree still looks healthy, I think we can rule out both the insects and nutrient issues. That leaves pollination or natural thinning. If the tree has been blooming and producing without any issues before, or if you have noticed plenty of pollinators in the area, then you could rule poor pollination out too. That said, a sudden change in temps or lots of rain could limit pollinators from doing their job. Likely the tree is simply shedding some of the extra fruit on its own. I wouldn't worry too much unless you notice any other issues, such as the sudden declining of your tree or even problems with the fruit itself (which could signal pests/disease).
