Pruning Season

The Pruned Branch

It is the branch that bears the fruit,

That feels the knife;

To prune it for a larger growth,

A fuller life,

Though every budding twig be lopped,

And every grace

Of swaying tendril, springing leaf

Be lost a space.

Of thou, whose life of joy seems reft.

Of beauty shorn,

Whose aspirations lie in dust,

All bruised and torn,

Rejoice, though each desire, each dream,

Each hope of thine,

Shall fall and fade; it is the hand

Of love Divine

That holds the knife, that cuts and breaks

With tenderest touch,

That thou, whose life has borne some fruit

May now bear much.

- Annie Johnson Flint

Fruit bearing trees are different from shade trees, in that they require annual pruning. During pruning season, the orchard owner feels more like a Surgeon than a Farmer!

This is the season where piles of branches appear under each tree as the Farmer carefully removes damaged limbs, eliminates non fruit producing suckers and controls the height and width of each tree for maximum tree health and fruit production.

Pruning is done with care and careful planning. Gas powered hedge trimmers are no where to be found! Each cut is made by hand, Snip, Snip....