Crisp fall air, fresh cider and prime apple picking and pie-making season have all come and gone. The last of the late-season apples have been picked and stored. The killing frost may have arrived, and perhaps the first snowfall, depending on your region. The orchard, as well as the orchardist, are ready for a long … Read more
Every year orchards are purchased or planted by people who have no experience in growing apples. For some, an orchard will be a challenge and a source of personal satisfaction and profit. For others, it may be a source of frustration and a bad investment. It’s important to become familiar with the business of producing … Read more
It’s a goal orchardists work toward all season: getting the crop to maturity for a bountiful, high-quality harvest of fruit. Depending on marketing outlets, the timing of harvesting related to fruit maturity can differ. Orchards, Getting to Harvest Growers offering pick-your-own typically want as much ripe fruit available on the trees when the majority of their … Read more
Often, commercial tree fruit growers manage the orchard floor with herbicide strips in the tree row, and grass or dirt strips between rows. While herbicides can bear a weed management technique, there are other options for controlling in-row orchard weeds. Orchard Floor Care Read about: 5 Tips to Becoming a Successful First-Time Farmer Controlling unwanted orchard vegetation, … Read more
Looking for bugs isn’t a nerdy middle school hobby – not if you’re an orchardist. It’s essential for tree fruit growers, no matter what spray program you use. – Pests in the Orchard Blanketing the orchard with sprays as a preventive may be someone’s idea of pest control, but a more cost-effective, rational and effective approach … Read more