“Cut whilst the tree is blooming.”
It never ceases to amaze me how much we prune out of the peaches each and every year. If you watch the video above, you’ll see the carnage. From the brush in the middle of the rows, it looks like we must have killed the trees, but it is critical to prune fruit trees.
Last year’s injured crop required less energy, so the trees grew, well, tree; wood & branches. If you remember, 2022’s late frost nicked the crop but didn’t manage to kill it all.
All that new woody growth saps energy from the tree when we want the tree to produce fruit. Pruning is how we reduce the tree’s branches to allow sunlight and airflow through the tree, specifically leaving new, young fruiting wood to produce delicious peaches.
You have to cut the tree to make good fruit. We happen to be cutting during bloom time, but that’s less than ideal. Dad was worried that cutting the peaches too early would invigorate the tree before we were out of the frost danger zone, so we waited – a good idea after last weekend’s cold temps.
It got me thinking about life metaphorically; (you have a lot of time to think as you prune trees.)
One should make cuts when life is blooming.
Here’s what I mean.
So often, we only make cuts, prune activities, reduce spending, and take time to recharge when life forces us to, when the going gets tough.
The negative version is
- Are things going financially great? Spend lavishly on material goods.
- Is everyone healthy and well? Have an extra order of fries.
- Kid’s excelling in everything they are doing? Push them into two more activities to pad their college admission apps.
My adage to prune whilst the tree is blooming would suggest:
- Are things going financially great? Stock up your 401k.
- Is everyone healthy and well? Plan for clean, healthy eating.
- Kid’s excelling in everything they are doing? Let them drop one activity for some downtime.
Just a few thoughts from the orchard.
Don’t think for a minute that I’m the primary pruning crew, though.
Big thanks go out to Dad, John, Alvin, Josh & our Baltimore crew for making key cuts every day that add up to a beautiful orchard filled with juicy peaches this summer.
Have a great week,
Farmer Hugh
