Perfect Fruit EVERY year

Above the Blue Heron Middleschool Orchard maintenance crowd is seen fine-tuning the this year's crop. In January they prune off the growth to keep trees low and "pickable" without a ladder. In June when the fruit is about nickle-sized, they thin the fruit to 4-6 inches from each other. Overcrowding means smaller fruit in the fall and also many NO fruit the next year as the tree needs to regain its composure. Proper thinning guarantees a robust crop each year.

Then comes July  and the pruning/thinning process continues as well as taking off any fruit that looks scabby or buggy. The team wants the kids to have nothing but the best of experiences when harvesting fall fruit to eat fresh off the tree. Below is an example of what codling moth does to an apple (or pear). From the outside, it looks good, but on the inside -- surprise!  No one likes surprises...  You know an apple has codling moth damage when the bottom end of it has a pile of nastiness. (Note also that the apple isn't ready to pick because the seed is white.)

The team effort takes about two hours each time and is a fun way to learn about orchard management. If you want to learn-by-doing, please send your request to be on the maintenance volunteer group to PTgleaning@gmail.com