This past week we are having a short respite from the tedious chore of pruning apple trees. A major winter storm dumped ten inches of snow. Deep drifts from the gusty northeastern winds along with single digit temperatures have kept us indoors most of this week. Pruning equipment doesn’t perform well in these weather conditions and neither do we.
We approach pruning as the start of another season. Pruning is the first step in getting a marketable product for our fresh markets. Pruning is a skill acquired through years of experience. It is practically impossible to become a good pruner merely by studying illustrations in a book. Good tools in first-class condition are very important for effective results in pruning fruit trees. We use pneumatic pruners. Using pneumatic pruners gives our workers the ability to do a high quality job with less effort than manual saws and loppers.
The best time to start pruning apple trees will depend upon the size of the job and the amount of the available labor. Most of the tree pruning is done during the dormant season when the trees have dropped their leaves. There are several reasons for this: the branches are easily visible, other orchard operations are less pressing, less danger of pulling bark away from the pruning cut and causing wounds. We try to get a jump start on pruning because of the possible severity of the winter season such as what we’re experiencing now. We started our pruning in early December as soon as our trees were dormant. Our mature trees in the older orchard are pruned first. The young trees, particularly the ones in the u-pik orchard, are pruned last. Young trees are more tender and susceptible to freezing injury when temperatures dip in early and mid winter.
Pruning is essential for producing quality fruit. The principle behind pruning is to open up the tree by removing any sprouts and unproductive branches. Opening up the trees allows them to admit more light, allows the sprays to penetrate the foliage providing better coverage of the fruit, thus protecting it from fungus and insects.
There is probably not a single pruning method that is always perfect. No one is an expert pruner as there is always room for improvement and always something new to learn. The best teacher is first hand experience in an orchard. According to the long range weather forecasts, looks as if we may be getting some more of that “orchard experience” next week.
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