Thanks to the local school corporation’s Spring break and good help from the neighbors’ boys, we have finished pruning, raking prunings, mulching and picking up debris in the orchards. Ready for another season! Nothing really more satisfying than seeing the orchard pruned, cleaned and waiting for bloom. Currently the trees are at one half inch green, meaning the leaves have emerged and are green and a half inch long. Bloom should be on schedule with full bloom usually occurring in this area around the 25th of April. Fruit bud looks good and with a little help from Mother Nature we should be on our way to another “fruitful” harvest.
Fruit bud on the peaches do not look as promising as the apples. This was due to the extremely cold temperatures in January. Peaches are very susceptible to cold and anything lower than ten degrees below zero is just too cold. Not looking too good for a peach harvest.
New trees have arrived that were ordered from the nursery. We were able to get these trees planted before the last predicted rain thus, allowing roots to set and develop. A big job that we are happy to have finished. Orchardists never tire of planting trees; it is how we touch the future!
Equipment getting its annual PM (Preventative Maintenance) checks. Trying to stay ahead of the game to prevent breakdowns in the field. Enough of that happens even with the best PM program in place.
Farmers’ Markets meetings are being scheduled and plans getting put in place for bringing fresh fruits and vegetables to the consumers’ tables. Spring is just around the corner. Isn’t it just great?