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Four Seasons of an Apple Orchard
The majority of apple orchards are family-run businesses, operated in cooperation with the laws of nature. Just as no two days are the same, no two days in the orchard are the same. An apple orchard is a busy place.
Winter
In January, while the trees are dormant, pruning begins. Limbs are sawed off and clipped to allow maximum sunlight into the growth structure. Pruning allows the tree to produce larger, better colored, higher quality and more valuable fruit.
Spring
April is the time to prepare for spring planting. The average tree will bear fruit in three years with full production coming in eight to ten years. Since apples do not grow true to their seeds, young trees that have been grown in a nursery from cuttings are transplanted to the orchard.
Sometime around the beginning of May, the buds begin to swell. Spring is near and the pace of the farm quickens.
Summer
With the opening of the “king” blossom (the largest
and center – most of the five-blossom clusters), it is time
for pollination to begin. Bee colonies rented from bee keepers must
be moved in quickly, usually at night so the bees are “home”
and not in flight. Sunny mild days are needed during bloom to encourage
strong bee activity.
In some dry years, irrigation must be used during July. Fruit size and firmness are affected by moisture in this critical month.
August is the last growing month before the apples begin to ripen. Red apples need the assistance of the cool nights during harvest to trigger an enzyme which increases the amount of color or “blush.”
Fall
When picking begins around the end of August, there is a constant buss of activity until the last of the fruit comes off near the end of October. Now it becomes the job of the farmers to market their fruit; either through their own farm store of packed and shipped fresh to supermarkets, restaurants, and schools nationwide and around the globe.
Source: NY-NE Apple Institute, Westfield MA 01085
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