Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/657340
www.goodfruit.com Good Fruit Grower APRIL 1, 2016 37 apples off trees when used during fruit growth stages in mid-summer and sometimes damage limbs instead of cutting them clean. Lewis also found the hedger blades harmed some fruit, but the farm managers she worked with put the damage estimate at about 5 percent, which they found acceptable and simple enough for a thinning crew to remove. In fact, hedgers don't completely replace hand pruning. Most growers who use them said they send hand crews to clean up damaged wood and remove thicker, undesired limbs by hand. Lewis recom- mends establishing a structural architecture with loppers during dormancy to prune trees for desired crop load and prepare the tree for the hedger to later remove only the wood growers want to remove. They may have to repeat that every one or two years. "The mechanical hedger can remove the right wood and right amount of wood if the trees are set up," she said in a follow-up interview. "Limb removal is a job for loppers." Mechanical hedging, like loppers, also can spread fire blight. Lewis suggested growers not use hedgers during an infection period if the bacteria is in the block. In northwest Michigan, Farrow advised one grower against hedging a block of SweeTangos because doing so would reduce the canopy size even further and poten- tially lower the yield. The trees on Bud 9 rootstocks in sandy soil at 4-by-12-foot spacing lacked enough vigor to provide adequate regrowth to refill, let alone increase, the canopy volume. "Hedging isn't for every system," Farrow told him. • Photos by tJ Mullinax/Good FRuit GRoweR Above, an ideal mechanically cut limb will look similar to a hand pruner, however, some non-ideal cuts do occur, showing frayed or mashed tips as seen at left. Non-ideal cuts sometimes are caused because a limb may be growing at an off angle or does not properly align with the trimming surfaces. ©2016 Syngenta. Important: Always read and follow label instructions. Some products may not be registered for sale or use in all states or counties. Please check with your local extension service to ensure registration status. Scholar ® , Academy ™ , the Alliance Frame, the Purpose Icon and the Syngenta logo are trademarks of a Syngenta Group Company. Syngenta Customer Center at 1-866-SYNGENT(A) (796-4368). MW 1LMW6006 02/16 Post-harvest decay. It can be a matter of time or a matter of chemistry. Scholar ® EZ and Academy ™ fungicides give you two easy ways to avoid post-harvest decay in pome fruit crops. Scholar EZ allows a consistent thermo-fog application that eliminates the need for a drencher in your storage process. Academy brings two modes of action that control up to ten tough diseases known for spoiling crop quality. To learn which formula is best for your operation, call Mike Sandmann at 509-237-2937 or email mike.sandmann@syngenta.com.