2020 Pruning Video Recording now Available

CCE prioritizes the health, safety and well-being of the communities we serve. Given the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19, and due to an abundance of caution, the Pruning Workshops at both locations on March 23rd and 25th were cancelled.  However, the content has been made available through video format on the Lake Ontario Fruit Program YouTube Channel.  With the support of a full team and some priority changes, in addition to schedule clearing, due to COVID-19 restrictions, Liz has been able to focus on video editing.  Check out the pruning video, linked below, created in lieu of a pruning meeting.  This video, and hopefully in the near future many more, will join the now growing collection on YouTube of educational videos produced by the Lake Ontario Fruit Program.

Pruning Honeycrisp for Annual Production Video on the Lake Ontario Fruit Program YouTube Channel

Precision pruning is a strategy to reduce the flower bud number per tree to a pre-defined flower bud number through pruning. This video explains how to manage Honeycrisp flower bud load with an optimum of 1.8 flower buds (left after pruning) relative to final fruit number. Honeycrisp growers should use flower bud counts before and after pruning to precisely leave an optimum number of flower buds to guarantee annual production (and reduce biennial bearing) every year. The video also shows how to dissect and identify a Honeycrisp floral bud from a vegetative bud.  This video focuses on Honeycrisp, however it contains basic pruning techniques that can be applied to all tall spindle orchards.