This
question comes up often in regards to young citrus trees. The answer is
applicable to many fruit trees: trees spend energy in order to develop their
fruit. For an older tree, there is usually enough energy to both grow the tree
and develop the fruit. When a young tree produces its first bloom, there is a
limited amount of energy. Will all the energy be used to grow leaves and
branches or will some of it be applied to develop fruit? Many citrus growers
will choose to sacrifice the first year’s crop - remove the young developing
fruit - so their trees will grow quickly and eventually produce more
fruit.
On the other hand, if the first fruit
is left until maturity, that fruit is using energy at the expense of the growth
of leaves and branches. For the
homeowner, since the resulting differences in yields are generally small, my
advice is to enjoy the first season and let the fruit set!
