Under some of the trees in my orchard there is a spattering of small unripe apples. This is June Drop, which (so I read ) can be due to various causes but particularly to there being insufficient carbohydrate to support the developing crop. The weaker ones in a bunch will drop off leaving the stronger fruit to develop.
If every flower were to become a mature fruit they would all be tiny and misshapen, so June Drop is not usually a bad thing.
June Drop will continue into July. If your aim is to produce quality fruit of a good size it is better to leave thinning until nature has done a lot of the work for you.
The June Drop fruit are inedibly small, sharp and tasteless, but have good pectin levels so can be used to make jellies (so I read – again). However, I’m still eating preserves from last year and have plenty of Green 2-year-old remaining in reasonable condition in store to last me till after Apple Christening Day (St Swithun’s, 15 July) which my Mum assures me is the first day you can start eating this year’s crop. Don’t tell her I’m nibbling on the under-ripe Golden Spire already!