Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/489844
36 APRIL 15, 2015 GOOD FRUIT GROWER www.goodfruit.com It's important to prepare your surface soil the right way before planting. A research report by Judy Tisdall, soil scientist at La Trobe University, Melbourne, and Bas van den Ende, a tree fruit consultant in Australia's Goulburn Valley E stablishing a high-density orchard is costly. It's important to do it the right way, because you only have one chance. Once the orchard is established, it is difficult and costly to correct soil problems in later years, yet properties in the soil affect the growth of roots. To produce high yields of good-quality fruit, trees need lots of feeder roots in the surface soil so they can take up plenty of water and nutrients. To enable this, the surface soil should be deep, soft, stable, well-structured, well-drained, fertile, and cool in summer. The pH level should be between 5.8 and 6.5. So, you need to improve the fertility and structure of the surface soil and increase the depth of surface soil if it is shallow in your orchard. Here are six steps to preparing the soil: 1Þ Have your soils tested Whether it is new land or old orchard land, have the surface soil tested to see if you need to add lime, gypsum, and/or phosphorus, and to what depths. Methods for collecting, preparing and submitting soil samples vary in different regions, states and countries. These methods are described on various websites, so follow the methods appropriate for you. As you sample the soil, you will also see how deep the GOOD TO KNOW SIX STEPS TO good site preparation Unmatched Performance, Quality Built and Affordable! ENGINEERING RELIABILITY & PERFORMANCE 2921 Sutherland Park Dr., Yakima, WA 98903 509-248-0318 fax 509-248-0914 hfhauff@gmail.com www.hfhauff.com Best Technology We have been using Victair Sprayer on our own farm for 40+ years. When I went into business for myself, the Victair was a natural choice. It has exceptional coverage (what else do you buy a sprayer for), it's easy to maintain, and using lower HP tractors saves on fuel costs. While in the commercial application business for 35 years, we have sprayed grapes, almonds, tree fruit, citrus, walnuts, and pecans. This sprayer can handle them all. Because of the small droplet technology (50 micron), we can use less water while maintaining coverage and, therefore, less chemicals—usually 30 to 40 percent less. This is the compact sprayer that can really handle the big jobs. It's the best technology on the market. Larry Meisner, Kerman, California H.F. HAUFF COMPANY INC. KERIAN MACHINES, INC. 1709 Hwy 81 South, P.O. Box 311 Grafton, ND 58237 701-352-0480 • Fax 701-352-3776 sales@kerian.com • www.kerian.com GENTLE: Separates without damaging peaches, apples, mushrooms and fresh tomatoes ACCURATE: Precisely grades grape tomatoes, cherries, nuts, and small berries, maintaining that accuracy for larger products including cantaloupes and pineapple FAST: Thirteen standard models custom- designed to meet your needs sort from 1,000 lb/hr to 100,000 lb/hr SIMPLE: Effective but simple design provides a rugged, low-cost, low-maintenance machine at a high value to our customers. It can even be used in the field! VERSATILE: Specialized rollers allow for the accurate sizing of round products (potatoes, onions, and citrus), long products (carrots, russets, and cucumbers), and irregular products (bell peppers, jalapeños, and garlic) FRUIT AND VEGETABLE KERIAN SIZER