Farm Journal- April 2011
It is always heartening to go out into the field now- to see the plants' subtle shift in color, from winter red to spring's pale orange, and to marvel over the tiny buds forming on each branch.
April is a long-awaited month, the month that our farm work begins in earnest.
The weather is far more favorable than March for steady pruning. It usually takes us three months to prune all 1,500 plants twice, so there is a little pressure to begin.
Pruning allows more space for each plant as they crowd and jostle each other to get their full measure of sunlight. It keeps them in vigorous good health. Also, over-crowded berries do not ripen to their full potential and can rot on the branch.
April is a long-awaited month, the month that our farm work begins in earnest.
The weather is far more favorable than March for steady pruning. It usually takes us three months to prune all 1,500 plants twice, so there is a little pressure to begin.
Pruning allows more space for each plant as they crowd and jostle each other to get their full measure of sunlight. It keeps them in vigorous good health. Also, over-crowded berries do not ripen to their full potential and can rot on the branch.