Pruning is done during dormancy in cold dry weather conditions after leaf fall. Dry weather avoids disease proliferation when making cuts and allows wood to heal faster.

Pruning shears must be clean, wipe it with alcohol or fire to kill all bacteries and viruses. This must be done regularly during pruning day. It avoids progagating diseases in the orchard.

Pruning consists of aereting your bushes to allow light inside the shrubs. We are keeing 5 main branches with the current year’s shoots and we remove an old branch every year. Some less vigorous species are made keeping 3 branches only during the first years.

The first picture is showing us a blueberry shrub before pruning.

 

 

This second picture is showing you the same shrub now pruned, some old branches have been removed to let space for the current year’s wood shoots which will be bearing fruits the following season.

 

Some professionals prefer pruning every two years, it requires then twice as much work during the second year so there is no time gained .

Pruning has another advantage for pickers. Indeed fruits with be easier to gather and bigger saving time significantly during the picking.

That’s it all that remains is to check the equipment and bring some elbow grease, good luck.