Winter break is over and our Sustainable Agriculture students are immersed in farm prep, for the fast-approaching spring! The warm weather has allowed us to spend some time outdoors, giving the orchard some much needed revitalization. This week the Advanced Organic Crop Production class spent some time pruning apple trees, pear trees and blueberry bushes. The orchard is currently home to apple and pear trees, blueberries, grape vines, newly planted pecan trees, and hazelnut trees.
Fruit trees and shrubs should be pruned yearly to ensure maximum yields and superior fruit quality. It is important to prune to prevent disease, allow space for new growth and keep your tree in a more productive shape.
Owen pruning a pear tree while Randall and Anthony supervise!
You want to ensure you get any dead or diseased branches, branches that are rubbing together or impeding growth, and branches that are growing in a less than desirable direction. There is a balance between the root and the treetop that needs to be assessed, you do not want to over prune as this will send up a vigorous amount of new growth and affect your yields.
Charlie V. pruning a blueberry bush with the helpful supervision of Randall!
The blueberry production area will see many welcomed additions in the coming months as a second row of bushes are added. In preparation for this, the crop production students took soil samples to determine the acidity and any needed amendments. Farmer Farrell mentioned that most of North Carolina has a suitable PH for blueberries but the Georgeville soil, here on the farm, has a higher PH more suitable to growing annual crops.
As the days grow longer and warmer the students will see the fruits of their labor as the plants start to wake up and direct their energy to the freshly manicured branches!
By: Jada
The Student Farm at CCCC 