FARM CONTEXT
Date of visit 19 December 2023
Area Bruyns Hill, Midlands, KwaZulu-Natal
Soils “The Best”
Rainfall 1200ml annually
Altitude Around 1000m
Temperature range Temperate mist-belt climate (Lowest of 5/6°C | Highest 35°C) Ave lows of 12°C | Ave highs of 28°C
Varieties 6,5ha Fuerte, 6ha Rintin, 1,5ha Pinkerton, 3ha Ryan, balance is Hass.
Hectares of Avos 43ha
Diversification Avos are actually the “other crop” here but, in our context JAFF’s family also farms timber, cattle, maize and chickens.

In the attempt to make sure none of this precious information is wasted, this story is broken in to 2 parts.

Part 1 covers:

  • Context
    • Farm
    • Farmer
  • Challenges
    • Weather (Hail, Frost, Wind)
    • Starting Off
    • Timing
  • Establishment
  • Nutrition
  • Orchard Maintenance
    • Disease
    • Pruning

JAFF 36 farms in the idyllic rolling hills of the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands. Historically this has always been sugarcane country but, as is common nowadays, glorious orchards are becoming more and more common.

I’m still feeling a little “out of it” after my 5-month sabbatical from TropicalBytes but, in listening to the recording of JAFF 36’s interview, I was transported straight back into the orchards and was so grateful for the opportunity to be there. JAFF 36 is far from average in more ways than one; his appreciation was what struck me most; he had nothing but good things to say about everyone; neighbours, advisors, partners, family, employees – literally everyone was acknowledged for having brought value to JAFF’s life in some way. And I don’t believe he was faking it either because he would often qualify that appreciation with an example like “he’s so dedicated or loyal or courageous …” I believe this openness to finding the best in everything has helped JAFF to the point of success where he now sits. His humility and gratitude brings out the best in those around him … well, it has for me anyway; I am inspired to bring you the most informative, value-filled story yet! So, get comfy; it’s going to be meaty.

Some more context on JAFF

Although he’s a 4th generation farmer; (his great grandparents owned land here from the 1860s), he’s also a lawyer. “I was a terrible lawyer though,” laughs JAFF, “I was so bad that they put me with the very worst partner for my articles.” But, in true JAFF style, he managed to win that meany over, qualify and practice law successfully for a number of years. It is expected, in this family, to “leave and f*#k up somewhere else” before you’re welcome to join the family business so, now that JAFF was confident he’d fulfilled that requirement, he came back to farm alongside his father and brother in the cane, timber, chicken and cattle operations.

Context on the avo farm

In 2017 they bought this neighbouring farm, one they had played on as children and always hoped to one day incorporate into their fold. It had 22 hectares of established, old avo trees and so JAFF became an avo farmer … with absolutely no knowledge of the crop. The first year was a bumper harvest and the avo price was high – in fact, the 22 hectares of avos generated almost as much income as 500 hectares of sugar cane! JAFF smiled, “I thought this was going to be easy.”

Then came 2018 and the trees produced precious little; JAFF learnt that this was largely due to the bumper crop in the previous season … so 2019 was going to be good then, right? WRONG! They were wiped out C.O.M.P.L.E.T.E.L.Y. by a hailstorm from hell. Adding insult to injury, that year, the price was brilliant.

Then came 2020 and we all know that life’s never been the same since! And so, JAFF has learnt that avo farming is not that easy especially when compared to sugar cane … and he’s made many mistakes – all of which he’s willing to share so that others can learn.

Some trees on this farm are over 40 years old. Of the 20 hectares that is in full production, at least half is 30 years + “But they were planted really well,” says JAFF, “whenever we think they should come out, they produce so well that we change our minds.” JAFF attributes the stamina of these old trees to the original farm manager who, he says, “was exceptional.”

JAFF’s undertaken expansion cautiously; there’s 10 hectares that are about to come into production and another 10ha that is almost finished being planted. The total will then be 43ha with plans to pause at 55ha. The water availability ceiling is 75ha and JAFF would like to leave some of that for something else interesting.

Challenges

Being a deliberate person and a smart farmer, JAFF established his 5-year plan 5 years ago, not long after they bought the farm. The following 3 years of hail, frost, floods, riots, collapsed markets, wars and COVID derailed 95% of that (nope, I don’t think there’s a single pre-2020 5-year-plan that stayed on track, in KZN especially ) and so JAFF is now 2 years into the new 5-year plan and, with heaven’s help, it’s still on track.

So, let’s break down some of the main Challenges and Learnings JAFF shared:

(*The challenges faced by a farm/er always impact the way they farm so this is all relevant as background when reviewing how this farm operates).

Extreme Weather

HAIL. 15mins of hail one Thursday afternoon in 2019 wiped out the entire crop and complete fields of 2-week-old plantings. It hit again, in 2020, when JAFF had no staff and a bout of COVID; he had no choice but to get out there himself to spray the copper that might protect the open wounds on the young stems from infection: 6 hectares. A knapsack sprayer. Alone.

10 years ago, a devastating hailstorm was something they experienced once every 10 years but now hail has become a constant threat, hitting at least once but sometimes twice a year. “But it’s not something you can get used to,” says JAFF, “and we’re never sure when it’ll hit; the risk is highest in Nov/Dec but this year’s bad storm was in Feb, at 9pm! We had never had hail at night before.” He explained that it was a very hot day and the evening storm built up but then turned away only to circle back and drop the hail.

“Trees can usually handle hail,” says JAFF, “even a lot, but when it’s BIG stones with LOTS of FORCE; that’s when the damage happens.”

I wondered about the netting option but JAFF is hesitant, for a few reasons: 1. Expense; “it’ll add 3 to 4 years to your break-even,” he said. 2. Failure, “it’s not a fail-safe option at all. And you often wait a long time for the repairs because the contractors are so busy after a storm”, 3. Stimulation of vegetative growth – “depending on the lux levels, it can spur vegetative growth as the tree tries to outgrow the covering.” There is also speculation that the increased temperature under netting encourages vigorous growth.

On the positive side though, JAFF says that pack outs from netted orchards are definitely higher, mostly because of the reduced wind damage.

FROST. JAFF has learnt, the expensive way, that frost happens in pockets on the farm that he didn’t suspect. “You think you know your frost line until you plant avos!” he scowls. But how do you avoid learning from the avos? “Pay attention,” says JAFF, “speak to the older people. Put in temperature probes before you plant. There are no shortcuts!” But, every year is different too … so, there’s that!

Before we all start questioning why JAFF continues with avos on this farm, remember that the cooler weather is the reason that fruit can be hung longer here, opening up very lucrative opportunities in the market.

Frost hits this young orchard often and, as you can see, it’s not low-lying at all.

WIND. The tornadoes we’ve seen devastate KZN this year are becoming commonplace and heavy winds are a constant challenge for JAFF. This impacts where JAFF can plant avos, how he prunes them and what pack outs he can anticipate.

They lose about 30% of the crop, every year, to wind. It’s a combination of straight wind damage (pictured below) and fruit being knocked off completely.

Above are 2 examples of wind damage that do look very much like thrips damage. JAFF says thrips damage always starts at the top of the fruit, by the stem, unlike wind damage which is seldom near the stem. Another justification for this is that it is mostly the fruit on the outside of the tree that bears this damage; inside the canopy, the fruit is perfect.

The smaller trees on the left of the road are that size because of the wind they are constantly buffeted by. The trees on the right are protected. Both sides of the road are the same age.

Theft is a problem; especially by the staff who tend to think the end-of-season Rinton (which is hung longest so it often drops) is fair game. Because of its timing in the market, these avos are very valuable to the farm. JAFF warns not to plant anywhere near a main road where wholesale theft is guaranteed.

Year-round fruit. A big difference between KZN and ‘up north’ is tree phenology; up north the trees flower, fruit is harvested and then the trees are pruned – with a clear break between activities. In KZN, it’s all happening at the same time because the season is so late that the flowering has started before you’ve finished harvesting. There are often two seasons’ fruit on the tree simultaneously. “You could pick everything in July and August, especially if your farm is pure Hass,” says JAFF, “and your farm management would be simpler BUT … then you’re missing other market windows.” As we know, market prices can spell the difference between paying in and being paid so farmers have no option but to capitalise on every market opportunity available.

And then there are some challenges that have been all JAFF! “I’ve paid some big school fees with these avos,” says JAFF, “thankfully my family value mistakes that can be learnt from so I’m not afraid to admit them and share them.”

  • JAFF listened to everyone and implemented everything. He advises that other new avo farmers are more selective about who they take advice from or at least weigh up and research the advice before implementing. He also believes that the best advice comes from the “oldies”. Even though some practices may not be ‘fashionable’ anymore, many of them are solid and can be appropriate in certain situations.
  • Enthusiasm: JAFF shares that his biggest learning in avos is that it’s very easy to do too much; he literally smothered his first plantings with attention, “I did the same thing to my chickens. Everything I read or learnt, I applied; too much of everything means I wasted money and I killed them. Those that survived have to be the toughest avos in Africa!” JAFF LOVES information and channelled everything into the avos – turns out, they’re not that into attention, especially the wet kind … “The water was what did the damage more than anything,” said JAFF, “over pruning and fertilising is less harmful than over watering. Every time they looked sick, I irrigated. But they were sick because I’d over-irrigated them!” It took another farmer/colleague, whom JAFF respected, to slosh out into the orchard and shout “STOP!”

One of the 4,5-year-old over loved Hass trees that JAFF cut his avo-farming teeth on.

On the left are the over loved Hass trees (4,5 years old). On the right is an orchard of 1,5-year-old Hass. JAFF’s demonstration of love included a change in pruning plan more often than was helpful and it shows in how small the almost 5 year olds are, compared to the much younger Hass.

Although he showered the young plants with too much attention, he certainly nailed the part before that so let’s learn from the extensive orchard establishment JAFF has undertaken in the last 5 years.

Establishment

Plant selection:

JAFF reinforces what all other top farmers have shared and adds some interesting new thoughts:

  • Buy plants from a reputable nursery. Although JAFF did this he still had to remove a field of Ryan that came with sunblotch virus. “You never can be too careful so make sure you stay close to your trees from placing the order to delivery,” he advises, “And then test them when they arrive, if you can.”
  • Make sure they’re properly hardened off with nice dark leaves before they go into the field.
  • Root stock: JAFF says he doesn’t know enough about the various cultivars yet but he’s heard that Bounty is a solid option for KZN. Most of the original orchard on this farm is on either on Duke 7 or Dusa which are progressive root stocks for such old trees – but JAFF suspects that gapping was done with seedlings. “No seedlings – only use clonals,” he affirms.
  • Don’t accept any skinny, weak looking plants. Make sure the grafts are solid and fully healed. For him, it’s also important where the graft is. He prefers it low down so that, if the trees are hit with hail, there is more of a chance that there will still be some bearing wood (graft material) to potentially regrow.

These are good, healthy Hass trees that came on to the farm in April but they weren’t able to plant then so they over-wintered in the farm nursery. Shredded palm potting medium. They have been painted in preparation for planting.

JAFF says “If you’re going to over-winter trees, build yourself a shade house and keep them off the ground.” (Hence the poles under the trees.)

Simple shade house structure that protected the trees through winter.

Soils:

“For me good soils are not ‘make or break’ in avo farming, but, whatever soil you have, it must be DEEP enough for avos!” says JAFF, “unless you’re in a high rainfall area in which case ridges may suffice.” The area where JAFF farms is renown as having some of the best soils in the province, where literally anything will grow, so we need to take that into account when JAFF rates the importance of soil types.

Planning:

As mentioned under Challenges, JAFF advises that you avoid windy and frosty areas. Wind breaks should be pre-planted if required; he likes casuarinas for this job. JAFF sheepishly admits that they removed all the windbreaks when they bought the farm because the avos closest to them were struggling. “They were pretty stuffed anyway,” he defends, “and we are going to replant and manage them properly.” By this JAFF means controlling their height to about 10m max.

There is a big shading effect, from these large trees, that affect the avos closer to them; it means they tend to grow taller rather than the short, squat shape JAFF prefers. The upside is that there’ll be less sun damage on these trees.

The orchard pictured above replaced the Ryans removed for sunblotch. When investigating what was happening here, ‘experts’ questioned the viability of this site for avos because it is south facing. It is also one of the most protected from wind though so JAFF chose to replant and take the trade-off of decreased tonnage (cooler/shadier conditions) for increased pack out (lower wind damage) “You actually want the higher pack out rather than the higher yield,” explains JAFF, “because then your tree is not overworking; you’re able to sell more of what it’s producing, and you’re not throwing away other inputs like fert etc.”

For visual learners like me, this illustration might help land the concept of why quality trumps quantity. It’s the same throughout most crops yet somehow many farmers continue to chase volume over value.

Land Prep:

JAFF says ridging is important regardless of soil depth because it keeps the equipment away from the trees. Having loose, uncompacted soil around the trees’ roots is important to JAFF. And he’s also learnt that keeping their roots out of the water, should there be any excessive rain, is also vital. “Good soils, like ours, tend to hold water and compact easier so we work hard to avoid these two evils and ridges address both,” says JAFF. He adds that farmers are prone to sending tractors out to mow on rainy days which he says is a “fireable offense.”

 A new field under prep is ripped and cross ripped to 350-400mm. “Soil must have a little bit of moisture when you rip so timing is important here,” warns JAFF. Once ripped, peg lines are laid out in accordance with the spacing and irrigation plan. “Which should be done by a professional,” he adds.  They then ridge with a bulldozer (because that’s what they own). In the first orchards, they built the ridges 0,5 m to 1 m high but they’ve realised that’s too high and just makes spraying harder. Because of the good soils they don’t need high ridges but rather just a definite edge to keep the tractors ‘in their lane’.

Another advantage of ridging is that it exposes aspects of the soil that no amount of testing can expose; an example of this is a dyke of shale running through the farm that they now know to manage.

Evidence of the troublesome dyke that traverses a lot of the farm.

After some soil correction of lime and gypsum (usually between 1 and 6 tonnes in their old cane fields) JAFF advises that you allow ridges to settle for 6 months, and, if you can, plant a cover crop in that time.

Spacing

This is very specific to cultivar, gradient and farm management capacity as well as style; and so it varies vastly across the farm. JAFF shares that the Hass are 7m x 4m, which he has been told is tight, but they have some old orchards that are 6m x 5m and some that are 10m x 12m. “We are getting good results from the dense orchards; but they require intense maintenance in terms of pruning,” says JAFF.

The new pruning plan for these orchards starts next year; which is a fan shape … so that the rows are left a little more open for the tractor – more under PRUNING.

JAFF says gradient plays a part in spacing because of the shading effect – they don’t go less than 8m x 4m here. On flat ground you can tighten up with all cultivars, especially Maluma Hass and Lamb Hass because these trees are smaller.

Another reason to plant more densely is pack out which improves with closer planting because of reduced wind damage. JAFF is hoping that the new 6m x 4m spacings (Hass) will yield 25t/ha with a 65-70% pack out.

JAFF says that a farmer who is trellising avos up north, is getting 40t/h! When the look on my face asks the obvious question (Why aren’t you trellising?), JAFF replies, “You need to invest in the infrastructure to support the trellises and use dwarf varieties.” There are various obstacles to marketing the fruit of these varieties though: Maluma is already in an overtraded market (timing-wise) and Gem, another small cultivar, can only be grown under licence.

Ridges that were worked on after the cover crop was planted but it does give us a good idea as to the size and shape as well as how really beautiful these soils are!

Planting:

Planting is a draining activity and consumes all your energy and resources; so JAFF suggests that you plan it very carefully so that the farm can survive the neglect. “Try plant in Spring if you can and avoid Jan/Feb. Definitely don’t plant in Autumn.” Jaff advises that, if you’re using drip irrigation, it’s especially important not to plant too late because of the lower water dispersal.

JAFF likes to have the irrigation in and ready before planting. “I prefer doing smaller areas, like about 2ha at a time.” And then, do everything you need to do to that tree in one day (plant, paint and stake) is his advice. “We used to plant one day, paint the next, stake the next … but I don’t recommend that,” says JAFF, “it just opens the tree up to risk with every element that isn’t done immediately.

He also suggests that you resist the temptation to rush and rather go slowly and carefully – stop planting on very hot or very cold day or even very wet days.

When I ‘dug’ (get the pun? ) for details around planting JAFF says they just follow the nursery’s directions. The irrigation is already in so they don’t fill the planting holes with water. They’re careful to not plant too deep or compact the soil too much. Mulch is placed around tree once it’s in. Then they paint, stake and spray with sunscreen.

JAFF places a 50mm pipe on the ground next to the tree – the top of the soil around the roots must line up with the top of the pipe before the hole is filled in – this way they make sure that that the bag soil is 5cm above ground and therefore has space to settle without risking that any of the tree’s stem will be covered.

JAFF does not fertilise at all for 6 weeks after planting but he does apply 40g fungicide per tree that will kill any phytophthora (and everything else) present in the soil.

Brand new avo plantings

JAFF’s latest plantings use bamboo stakes. Interestingly, the stakes are on the weather side of the tree so that, if there is hail, it will hopefully provide a little bit of protection. JAFF explains that the new flush on this tree means that the roots have left the bag and the tree has taken.

JAFF warns that this is poor planting and painting – the sunburn that this stem will get could kill this tree. And there are exposed roots which also isn’t going to help this youngster either.

The ridges are usually all covered (as in the distance) JAFF doesn’t want the ridges bare as in the foreground.

JAFF shares this advice: “If you do have a wind problem, plant the rows so that the wind does not channel through them; rather plant crossways to the wind direction and sacrifice the first row as a buffer (or plant a good wind break like casuarina). Obviously, water flow needs to be considered as well. Unfortunately this means that sun penetration is not always maximised but, in this context, wind management trumps that.

Nutrition

Year-round fruit.

Some of these cooler KZN regions have this challenging, yet wonderful, aspect to farming avos; the fact that they’re cooler means that they can hang fruit longer, to take advantage of lower supply windows, often into the following season of new fruit – meaning there’s almost always fruit on the tree. This adds a complexity to nutrition management.

JAFF knows he hasn’t yet refined this; some farmers incorporate per tree crop estimates of previous and current seasons into the fertiliser calculation and apply exactly that, per tree! For now, JAFF is applying at a rate based on square metres of tree canopy but hopes to improve the methodology to incorporate the previous season’s load as this would help to stabilise the pattern of alternate bearing and thereby stabilise cashflow as well.

JAFF has chosen to use half organic, half chemical fertilisers and applies with the summer rains, following the supplier-recommended programme. They also do leaf samples which, in the past, called for top ups on zinc and boron. During winter they apply an all-round, soluble fertilser through the irrigation, breaking the monthly dose into weekly servings.

“Gummyberry” juice is used to drench sick trees; the exact recipe seems to be a bit of a mystery but it includes all those good things like kelp, MAP, molasses etc.

The trees are mulched naturally, by their own leaves. Chipped prunings are used in the new orchards. Sometimes sugarcane waste is added, if a nearby cane field is being harvested.

As always, remember the context – that we are currently standing in some of the country’s best soils.

Standing in this orchard, I asked JAFF what he sees here that makes him happy … “The big, dark leaves, the Spring flush, the nice long internodes, uniformity of size throughout the orchard.” Between the pic above and the one below, most of these qualities are illustrated.  

Orchard Maintenance

The more I know, the less I know … ever feel like that? Just when it feels like you’ve understood something (like Nutrition) you break through another level and realise how much other factors (like soil health and structure and other orchard vegetation and life) impact Nutrition and you’re back to feeling like you know less than you did before you ‘knew’ …

So, JAFF choses to run what he calls ‘scruffy borders’ which means that the natural vegetation is left to grow unless there’s a purpose to cleaning up like access to irrigation or for a road. JAFF defends his choices by adding that “this isn’t a park” – I think the community often give him a hard time about the scruffiness. . In the new orchards, this vegetation was kicked off with ‘some fancy bee mix’ (JAFF’s words) but now it’s open to whatever sprouts naturally. Only bugweed (aka bonga bonga) isn’t welcome and is removed on sight.

Although this style of farming might be hard to look at, we know it’s right – the insect numbers and diversity alone are justification; and that spills over into a more varied and balanced ecosystem throughout. More plants = more insects = more birds = less pests = less spraying = lower costs. More directly; scruffy = smart.

A bee with his ‘saddle bags’ full of pollen.

A bejewelled spider web.

JAFF does mow one line down the row, for access, but never the sides of the ridges. If growth ever does get ‘really out of hand’ they’ll put a brush cutter in at the end of the year.

JAFF calls this ‘scruffy edges’ – a diverse and flourishing ecosystem for insects and plant variety. Although it’s a challenge, they do climb in under the tree to spray around that, and along the drip line, with glysophate, so that any irrigation leaks are visible and can be repaired quickly.

Another advantage of all this vegetation is that it protects the stems of younger trees from hail damage.

The orchard pictured above has a 9mx 4m spacing which looks comfortable but JAFF warns that the honeymoon lasts about 4 years (from age 4 to age 8) Before that, there’s no income and, after that, it becomes a tussle for space, air, light – turning pruning into a top priority; without it, production will start to decline. It’s easy, in the 4-year honeymoon, to fall into complacency. Year 9, 10 and 11 will be easier if you stay vigilant and plan for the work ahead. (Sounds like us married folk should take a ‘leaf’ from this advice. )

Phytophthora – For 2 years, 2 of the original blocks had beautiful looking trees but no fruit. JAFF decided it was a lack of pollination and went bee-crazy but, now, he doubts whether that had anything to do with it. In dealing with these ailing older orchards, JAFF has come to the conclusion that diverse soil flora has a very real impact on soil fauna and thereby, soil health. Besides being effective in controlling soil temperature, the more mature and complex the ecosystem, the healthier and more resilient the plants therein. Previously the ridges in these older orchards were bare of any green and the interows were mowed kukuyu. Since introducing his ‘scruff’ there’s been a marked improvement.

But, before you start thinking JAFF is a complete hippie, listen to this; “I also started injecting the trees with phosphonates for the Phytophthora. You can’t walk away from all the old school controls – sometimes it’s the only solution.”

This 20-year-old orchard had been sick since JAFF bought the farm; the soils are very shallow (remember that dyke?). They were getting a maintenance phosphorous injection but continued to decline. They decided to up that to 2 injections and rip the orchard floor. The tree health has improved phenomenally, and they had heavy flowers this year …  but nothing set. “I’m trying not to be disappointed,” admits JAFF, “but I really am. We were going to take these trees out this year.” He’s choosing to believe that this is a journey and that they will set next year. If not, they will possibly remove them and replant but, this time, on ridges, running with the contour.

JAFF adds that they also changed the irrigation here; “that’s one good thing about shallow soils is that it takes less irrigation … this orchard literally gets half the water that the main orchard does.”

Pruning – After 7 years with this diverse farm, JAFF has built up substantial experience with trees across the spectrum – from developing good structure in newly planted trees through to figuring out how to ‘bring back’ a tree that has been left without any pruning for way too long. Here’s his advice:

  • YOUNG TREES: “You want as a few trees within that tree so work on identifying and nurturing the 3 to 5 main long stems, with side branches, that will carry the fruit.” So JAFF is recommending 3 to 4 Christmas tree structures per tree. “Be brutal early on because it will save you work later,” advises JAFF.
  • OLDER TREES: “It depends on spacing,” says JAFF, “and personal preference – I like the trees to be shorter and fatter than most.” This works if you’re wanting to follow a ladder-less harvest, like JAFF does, which means max 4m height. With this squat shape, JAFF likes to see openness in the middle, a window on each side and independence between the trees ie: not growing into each other.

That being said, in dealing with the tighter spacing in some of the established orchards, JAFF is going to try a ‘fan-style’ shape – so the trees will be pruned back on the row-facing side more than on the neighbour-facing side. Maximising canopy within the airspace he has.

  • REHABILITATION: When it comes to pulling an overgrown orchard back into shape, there are 2 options, in JAFF’s opinion:
    1. Stag horn – there are situations (and one of them may just be capacity) when trees are beyond reshaping and the best route is to start again.
    2. 3-year programme – if feasibility demands that you work with what you have, JAFF recommends removing no more than 1/3 of the tree’s canopy per year. This has to be carefully considered, planned and executed with attention to many factors including sunburn, wind, regrowth management and overall balance.
  • SKIRTING: JAFF doesn’t skirt at all; he tried it once and all that happened was excessive ‘weed’ growth under the trees. (And we can all see that he doesn’t need more of that! )
  • FLOWER PRUNING: JAFF said he saw a study once that said that you can remove up to 50% of the flowers without affecting your final yield. He does think that it is important WHERE you remove those flowers from though eg: if you leave all the flowers in the wind and the sun, it’ll have a poorer outcome than if you leave all the shaded, protected flowers. Here, they don’t specifically remove flowers but there are many that are lost in the pruning process. “It’s important that you DO NOT consider the flowers when pruning branches,” he warns, “you don’t want to make long-term decisions based on flowers that may not even set into fruit.”

The dead branches lying below the trees will be chipped up and the chippings used to mulch the new plantings.

20-year-old, 8m x 4m Hass orchard. Cut back for access once a year when the tractor needs to come through to spray copper. Still being nurtured back to full health as they also have some sunburn damage but are carrying a nice crop now. This is the orchard they’ll try get a fan-effect happening in.

Fruit size improves the closer it is to a main stem.  JAFF learnt this from a Mexican study on pruning and it made sense to him; the closer a fruit is to the food source (roots of the tree) the more likely it is to be better nourished. Whilst I would not have thought it makes much difference, this study suggests it does and so JAFF opts to keep the trees smaller; this way he can plant more too.

JAFF explains that, when addressing an orchard, be it for nutrition or irrigation or pruning, he tries to take a step back and assess issues wholistically. This orchard (represented by the trees in the picture above) presents an opportunity to review pruning in this way – they keep pruning with tractor access being top of mind. The result is that the same branches get pruned again and again. It was time for the team to step back and address that and, from that Stop.Look.Correct.TakeAction reassessment, they’re now employing the proposed fan-pruning strategy.

This tree has just been pruned open which brought the height down and opened a nice window for sunlight.

These 20-year-old Fuerte trees were stag horned to start again; just too much growth on them and too much else on the farm to do; the wisest thing was to start fresh.

Because these trees were in such poor shape for so long and weren’t painted, they’ve been sunburnt. This damage affects the trees nutrition transfer and stimulates rot.

And here ends Part 1.

Part 2 will cover:

  • Pests
  • Irrigation
  • Pollination
  • Cultivars
  • Harvest
  • Distribution
  • Market Outlook
  • Advice