Dakota Gardener: Thinning apples for improved quality

I planted my apple trees about four years ago. One of the apple trees is very productive. It is the little tree that could, despite being my dog’s third favorite chew toy (the dogwood and lilac shrubs are numbers one and two).

Judging by the number of blooms, the tree has big dreams for this growing season. The apple blossoms escaped the frost in May. If the bees were able to do their jobs, there...