Market Farming

[Willie McKemie <mf AT austinfarm.org>]

On Tue, Jan 18, 2005 at 01:35:13AM -0600, TxBeeFarmer wrote:
> Willie,
> 
> For those you didn't mow, what did you do?  Did you just cut the whole thing
> like a hedge at 3'?

As I mentioned earlier: tip prune weekly.  Every place you pinch out a 
growing tip, you will force several branches.  Those branches will 
intertwine and make the hedge denser and more stable.  That's the GOAL; 
we always fall behind in pruning.  Then, we have to take pruning shears 
to them and cut off longer canes.  4' is more like it.  Maybe 5'.  You 
don't want your pickers bending over all the time.

I have a sickle bar that can be operated vertically, but I have been 
disappointed in the pruning it does.

The mowed berries also need pruning, both in the season of the mowing 
and the next season.  Though, the mowed rows don't need pruning for 
about two months after the mowing.  I don't omit pruning on rows I 
expect to mow.  Only primacanes (not canes that have buds, blooms or 
fruit) should be pruned.

-- 
Willie, ONWARD!  Through the fog!
http://counter.li.org Linux registered user #228836 since 1995
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