Hair Cut Time...

Monday reminded me of my first visit to the Valley some 12 years ago.  Why?  With mild temps in the 60's no less, Natureman had decided to start pruning the fruit trees. 

The wind was pretty fierce so there was no ladder climbing but I  self appointed myself to gather the cut branches and bring them to the goat pasture for the goats.  Snack time.


Goats are 
browsers so they like chewing on the new growth of the branches.
Back in '02 on that first visit  Natureman was proudly showing me the apple orchard when I commented that it looked like the trees hadn't been pruned recently. "How do you know? " I tilted my head and said the phrase that has since been repeated many times, 
"Well, you know I am a Master Gardener." He smirked and replied, "you caught me." 

The importance of pruning the suckers is to allow  air flow between the branches to prevent disease (apple scab/fire blight). Scab affects the leaves with a fungus that is spread by the wet spring winds and with blight the branches appear charred and is transferred by insects. The largest and oldest apple tree, planted in '77, started dying last year because pruning has never been a big priority here in the End of the Rainbow Valley.  Even if you don't need all the apples it's tough to have an old specimen die. Be sure and prune before the insects/ winds take the disease to other trees.

In case you have trees to prune also remember it's important to dip your loping shears in bleach and water inbetween each tree pruning or otherwise you take the chance of spreading disease. Also be sure and discard those cut branches to another area away from the trees.

Fruit trees blooming are pretty magnificent but we'll have to wait another month here in the End of Rainbow Valley to see those blooms... Stay tuned.