Kevin Day describes the minimal pruning technique to IFTA members. By doing minimal pruning in the first two years, one California grower-shipper is able to bring its stone fruit trees into full production by the third year, three years earlier than traditionally pruned orchards. At George Brothers, Inc., Dinuba, California, they are looking at all angles to find ways of becoming more efficient in the orchard and reduce inputs and labor costs. They are keeping their peach, plum, and nectarine trees shorter by mechanically topping—to around nine feet tall—to make ladder work easier, and are reducing pruning costs while improving […]