This past week the orchard went from winter to spring like a switch was turned. -10 and snow to +10 and sunshine overnight.
As nice as its, been, it means I need to get my butt in gear to get the orchard pruned before the trees break dormancy.
Pruning is the process of cutting and removing branches to shape the tree and open it up to light penetration and air flow. It’s also the time to cut out any broken or diseased wood. The tree responds dramatically differently to the way its pruned. The same cut, made at the wrong place along the branch, can turn a limb that would be full of apples to one full of spindly twigs instead. Worth getting right.
Pruning can be meditative, each tree a puzzle to solve. Unfortunately the meditative part tends to wear off after several hundred trees. 😊 That's when the podcasts and caffeine kick in.
Till next time,
Mike