Brush Picking

Springtime at the orchard is cleanup time. For the last few days, we've been working along the rows of apple trees, using pitchforks to pick pruned branches out from under the trees. The branches--pruned over the winter months--must now be moved into the center of the aisles, where the tractor can ride over them and turn them into mulch. This is an important step for several practical reasons: first, there are LOTS of pruned branches littering the ground, some of them quite large, making it difficult for workers (and visitors!) to navigate the narrow aisles. Second, removing the branches helps with pest suppression. Too many dead branches left around the roots of the apple trees creates a space for pests to live, breed, and feed-- and when you're trying to grow apples with as few chemical interventions as possible, creating a hospitable environment for pests is a bad idea.