Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/657340
36 APRIL 1, 2016 Good Fruit Grower www.goodfruit.com Grower perspective Some growers really liked the results. Columbia Fruit Packers' Quincy and Ephrata orchards had 90 percent return bloom in their apples when they worked with Lewis and found the hedger made the work simpler for employees, said manager Ramon Gutierrez. He also liked the cost savings in labor. "Running the hedger is so cheap," he said. Leonard Ligon, a Traverse City, Michigan, grower uses a hedger to keep permanent limbs from taking over his tree in favor of fresh growth. "The days of farming apple trees with permanent wood are over," he said. "That's over. It's obsolete." Hedgers range in price from, say, $15,000-$25,000 and are available from several American manufacturers. Options include rotary or sickle bars with single or dou- ble arms and front or rear mounts. Some can be turned sideways for horizontal hedging, while others only work vertically. Sazo and Lewis work only with single row sickle bar hedgers in their trials. The other perspective Hedgers have drawbacks, of course. For one, in Washington, hedgers can expose more fruit to sunburn if used too late in the summer. Mean- while, hedger blades cause a whipping action that knocks MORE TO SEE Look for more IFTA Michigan tour coverage and photos online at goodfruit.com Frost control has become very important to us. In the last 9 years, we have had 5 frost events that have signifi cantly damaged our production. We decided to do something to help mitigate this so our production would be consistent. That's where Orchard-Rite ® wind machines have come into play for us. In mid April of 2014, we reached 24 degrees outside the vineyard, yet we were able to save 100% of the fruit under the machines. Outside of the coverage area, we lost almost all of the fruit. At harvest, we picked over 6 tons per acre in the protected area and less than 1 ton per acre in any unprotected vines. The wind machines also reduced my vine damage. I put the wind machines on 10 year old vines and experienced minimal damage, but any unprotected 1 year old vines were completely decimated by the cold temperatures. In the future, when I set out a new planting, I will install Orchard-Rite ® wind machines to provide protection for the following Spring. Damaging young plants is a huge expense not only in lost production but in extra management costs to replant and retrain damaged vines. I believe that the wind machines will help our Texas wine industry grow consistent crops that our wine makers can depend on to produce superior wines and to reliably supply our markets. "The grape vines under my wind machines yielded 6 tons per acre while my unprotected areas had less than 1 ton per acre." -- Andy Tim- mons Lost Draw Vineyard