As soon as the season is finished, we begin the pruning, which is a massive undertaking, and large amount of vigorous growth needs to be cut back, so that we can manage the orchard with continual mowing, weeding and fertilising, and also ensuring the pickers have fruit at the right height for harvesting. Pruning is very technical with different varieties requires different attention. It is important that dead wood is removed and enough sunlight and air movement is made for each plant. We also need to ensure the bushes fruit in the right areas, not too high or too low. Weeding and grass management are big components, so many hours are required for hand weeding. Additional we need to irrigate the plants during the drier months , and maintain the fertigation lines, repair bird nets, remove dead plants, plant new plants, the list goes on. During the actual harvest, attention is turned to ensuring we pick the fruit at the correct time, checking brix levels, and managing the harvest in tune with the weather forecast.
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