Spring has sprung, and that means a flurry of activity on farms across the Valley. Much is being done to lay the groundwork for the crop that is to come. Frost anticipation, spray programs, training, and getting things cleaned up and ready to roll are just a handful of the goings on in orchards everywhere. Farmer Mark Hanrahan took some rooted time this week to show us what’s happening as he moves about his orchards setting the foundation for this year’s growing season.
Interesting technique used here. Light weight, slightly flexible. Lighter than anything you can buy in a store.
Driverless tractor. In a modern orchard with latest genetics.
Studying the spray pattern.
Watching sprayer. Power blast sprayers are like sledge hammers. Watching to see where the drift is going.
Wind is picking up. Needed to bring a drift surpressant to the weed sprayer. Johannes is this year’s international student, he is from Germany and will be here from winter to cherry harvest. His family are farmers in Bonn, Germany.
Promilin is a plant growth regulator made up of a mixture of cytokyn and gibberelic acid.
Promilin plus latex paint. On Cosmic Crisp on top of Geneva 11 root stock.
Ebony pearl on giesla 6 rootstock. How does the tree grow? Is it vigorous. Does is spur up easily? Questions posed by a neighbor farmer who is planting them based on their market acceptance first. Farm ability second. This took up an hour of my day.
34 grand for this ford V-10 propane hog. It will suck 500 gallons in two hard frost nights.
Adjusting automatic temp sensor to turn on wind machine. 26 will kill some of the bloom.
Danjou pear, bud separation
Thank you for sharing what it takes to get started in spring and why it is important to plan for the crop and spray program.