ORCHARD ACTIVITY

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXVI, Issue 119, 4 May 1936, Page 11

ORCHARD ACTIVITY

Preparation Work for Next Season

SHELTER PREPARATION

Although by mid-autumn most of the fruit is gathered with the exception of a few late varieties of apples, the practical orcliardist still has much thut is important to do in order to prepare a thorough groundwork for the next season. The following orchard notes by tl. G. Hamilton, orchard instructor, Hamilton, will lie instructive to Hawke’s Bay orchardists:— In most commercial orchards the fruit that now remains to be harvested is the final picking of the late maturing export varieties aud the fruit which has been left to tree-npen. btunner Pippins which are left to treeripen should ba hanested before “apple-spot” develops. Fruit held in ordinary shed storage should be sorted at intervals, and any fruit developing ruts removed. Any fruit showing signs of depreciating should bo marketed without delay. With care, most of the late varieties will hold satisfactorily shed storage, provided the fruit has been carefully handled and graded to eliminate fruit with disease and skin punctures. Fruit held in cool store slianld be examined frequently, and any lines showing forward maturity marketed before condition is lost. LATE SPRAYING. Following the completion of the harvesting it i? advisable to spray stonefruit at “leaf-fall” with Bordeaux 5—4—50. From results observed over the past few years is is recommended that all varieties of both apples and pears likewise receive a similar spray at ’’leaf fall.” The practice of using Bordeaux in the autumn in place of at the “green tip” period has been found in normal seasons to minimise russet greatly. If an autumn Bordeaux spray is applied it should be followed by a strong lime-sulphur spray (one pint by volume to 15 parts water) in the spring at the “delayed dormant” period, excepting on varieties which have been badly affected with black-spot the previous season, and these varieties should receive a further Bordeaux spray at the “delayed dormant” period. Following the autumn spray, the spraying outfit should be thoroughly cleaned, overhauled, and renewals made whore necessary. The pipe-lines of stationary plants should be well flushed out. The work of overhauling the outfit is best done during the winter, when there is usually time to spare before the new spraying season commences.

PLOUGHING AND MANURING. Deep ploughing of the orchard at least once a sear is advisable, but it should not be so deep as to cut ot seriously damage the main roots. It is recommended that this ploughing be done in the late autumn, as the effect c-f the injury upon the tree is less should the feeding-roots be disturbed at this time of the year than when the tree is in growth. It is also preferable in most cases to turn under cover crops which are sufficiently mature in the autumn, so that the green matter may decay before the spring cultivation commences. Applications of phosphatie and potassic manures may bo made during the autumn just prior to the ploughing of the land, boils requiring lime may be top-dressed with approximately one tou of carbonate of lime per acre. The application of tho quickly acting nitrogenous fertilisers should ba delayed until tho spring, | NEW PLANTINGS, In selecting a site for tho young orchard duo consideration should be given to securing good, warm land favourably situated as to aspect to sun, natural drainage, and provision of shelter. The area intended to be set out with new plantings should bo thoroughly tilled and put in fine condition. If the order for trees has not already been given no further time should te lost in placing it. On well-drained situations in the warmer areas, the planting cf trees may be commenced at tho end of autumn; otherwise it should be carried out in the she spring, when the land is in suitable condition. At planting tho trees should receive up to Üb. of a phosphatic manure, to be followed in the spring with a dressing up to Jib. of nitrogenous fertiliser. The provision of adequate shelter is of paramount importance, aud it is advisable to establish shelter preferably two years in advance of setting out new plantings, so that the young plantation will not bo thrashed by prevailing winds. Adequate room should be left between the shelter-belt and adjacent row of fruit-trees os that when fully grown the shelter does not overcrowd the first row. GENERAL WORK. Before the winter rains commence all open drains should be eleaned out and the exits of covered drains opened up. Provision for new drains should bo made wherever necessary. Adequate drainage is most important for the health of the trees, which cannot thrive or crop to perfection on wet, retentive soils. Each year many trees are lost through lack of sufficient attention to this aspect of orchard-management. At the end of the harbesting and packing season the packing : shed should be cleaned up, the mechanical grader cleaned and greased, any spare packing material safely stored until the next season, and any Waste and diseased fruit should be gathered and destroyed. Orchard boxes shotild be collected, repaired, and stacked under cover til) again required. The liffi cf the treeprops will be lengthened if they Are gathered now and stored away.