The orchard is buzzing...and I literally mean buzzing...with the sounds of chainsaws as it is time to prune and hedge the trees. The reason for pruning and hedging is to maintain the tree's size and to prevent overcrowding.
Due to the fact that Tim's main goal is to produce about the same pounds of pecans each year off his trees, he wants to keep the tree from getting too big and thus overproducing the next year. ***It is important to state here that although Tim, Jake, and all those that work out at the orchards follow orchard management practices to ensure crop production, this type of work has factors beyond human control. Mother Nature is constantly providing too little (or on rare occasions...too much) rain, sending late or early freezes, blowing in high winds, or pelting the area with hail...all of which is not good!***
Pruning and hedging also keeps the orchard from becoming overcrowded as a whole. When it comes time for pecans to begin to develop and grow they need lots of sunlight. With pruning and hedging this allows more sunlight to be able to filter in throughout the trees and all the way down to the orchard floor.
The picture I have posted along with this information is of one of the guys up in the Pruning Tower cutting off the tops of the trees. This must be done to every tree...all 8000+ of them. Then the guys have to come along and pick up all the branches and haul them off to make sure the orchard floor will be clean and clear for future work to be done.
I am just glad I run the store and do not have to drive the Pruning Tower. I am terrified of heights!!!
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