Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/635697
30 FEBRUARY 15, 2016 Good Fruit Grower www.goodfruit.com "We feel we did everything perfectly," he said. "We've never paid that much attention to baby trees." By the summer of 2015, Taber was giving the block a score of seven out of 10, though he thought others probably would give it a nine or 10. Some of the trees have blind wood, which will affect future tonnage. He thinks it could have something to do with a November freeze in 2014, the year they were planted. Also, extremely hot summer temperatures could have played a role. "I believe that both years (2014 and 2015) we may have stumbled somewhere on irrigation," he said. "If you stumble at all with any young trees, but especially these, it will affect you forever." Taber said a soil moisture monitor- ing service might have helped, but as the orchard is at Oroville, close to the Canadian border, it's difficult to get peo- ple to go there. "We're at the end of the line," he said. "But if I spent the money I spent on this again, you have to have something along those lines." To crop or not to crop The question he faces now is whether to crop the trees this year, in their third leaf. Many people have encouraged him to crop them, but Taber feels it's critical to be patient and build the bearing sur- face first. "They say the top wire is the goal and anything above is a bonus," he said. "But I want to be above. We look at the growth and I see a little bit of inconsistency. I'm not where I want to be at the top. So, to me, my factory's not built, and I'm 90 per- cent certain I'm not going to crop them, and I'm going to cut most of that growth off again." Taber fears that cropping them too early would be a waste of time and cause him grief. "I'll get a few bins in the warehouse and make some money, but I'll reduce the growth of my factory and have sub- par fruit to deal with. The orchard just keeps eating money, but I think I'm going to pay negatively for 20 years if I crop it too soon and don't fill the space." Auvil said the decision to crop or not to crop is always difficult. He recommended cropping trees that have reached the top wire of the trellis. The fruit might not be packable because fruit on vigorously growing trees is prone to bitterpit, but it GERALDINE WARNER/GOOD FRUIT GROWER Tom Auvil discusses how to get Honeycrisp trees off to a good start. Training for Preventative Controls Qualified Individual for Human Food Includes 500 page training guide & templates, 8 hours of required workbook exercises Small class optimal learning environment Thursdays or Fridays, no travel required Food Safety Preventative Controls Lead Instructor Earn PCQI Certificate of Attendance Register with Denise at 1-509-452-7707 or DeniseS@cascadeanalytical.com Convenient Yakima & Wenatchee Locations March Classes lling now ! On-site training available Begin Your FSMA Food Safety Plan, Now! Begin Your FSMA Food Safety Plan, Now! Begin Your FSMA Food Safety Plan, Now! FSMA Required PCQI Training FSMA Required PCQI Training FSMA Required PCQI Training