Great Weather for Pruning!
Rachel Henderson
We started pruning in our orchard at the end of February. Stone fruits were first -- plums, cherries, and apricots are the earliest bloomers -- then apples and pears. Now we're working on grapes and currants. We prune our trees every year to create a tree shape that maximizes sunlight on the fruit (for good ripening) and airspace through and around the branches (to prevent fungal disease). Grapes set all their fruit on young wood, so aside from the main trunk and cordons, or "arms," we're pruning those every year to renew growth. This is the first year we're doing heavy pruning on our currant plants -- they produce best on 2 to 4-year-old wood, and now need some serious thinning out.
It feels great to spend a few hours out in the orchard every day again, and we're getting excited for spring!