Our very own Tree Talker, Dave Gleason, is back with another Orchard Update! As a light dusting of snow falls, Dave joins us in one of our Yakima Gala apple orchards to shed light on what this season is like for farmers in our area. The trees begin to sleep this time of year, and Dave settles into the quiet time. As leaves fall away from the tree, Dave and our orchard teams can get a better look at the limbs of the tree, which are good indicators of its health.
One of the most essential winter activities in orchards is pruning. Our farm teams will soon be taking on this pertinent task. Proper pruning ensures that the crop is abundant, well-sized, and high-quality. Keeping the right balance between leaf and flowering buds is the trick! "If we don't have enough flowers, we won't have enough apples," says Dave. He adds, "Of course, if we have too many flowers, then there's too much competition for the nutrients in the tree."
In this Orchard update, Dave explains how we use pruning to balance our apple crop. Dave’s parting words of wisdom are to enjoy the holidays with family and friends and eat lots of autumn golden apples!
Make sure to be on the lookout for our next Orchard Update!
