Growing for your market — pruning lays the foundation for next year’s crop

April 2011 | AgFirst | Australian Fruitgrower article

This Growing for your market article explains why pruning is an early and important step in setting up the following season’s crop. The number and quality of fruiting sites retained through winter determine the platform on which later thinning and crop-load decisions are made.

The article encourages growers to think in terms of the marketable crop they want to harvest rather than simply the amount of wood removed. Light distribution, fruiting-wood quality, vigour and tree balance all influence whether retained buds can produce fruit of the required size and colour.

A disciplined prune also reduces the pressure on later hand thinning and canopy work. Removing the wrong wood or leaving too much weak or shaded fruiting material can make it harder to achieve a uniform crop.

The resource reinforces a recurring Future Orchards® principle: crop management starts well before bloom, and winter pruning should be tied directly to block targets and market requirements.