Patience and due care are needed when working with fruits in a organic farming orchard. Fruit tree’s must be maintained with the appropriate level of care to ensure a good harvest and the potential to plant more seeds in the future. With good guidance and an enthusiastic work ethic you can find the process of working in an orchard to be highly rewarding and thoroughly enjoyable.
Working with the seasons
Harvesting fruits is an ongoing year long endeavour, what you will be doing depends on what time of the year you choose to join. The four seasons greatly affect how the fruit grows and a high level of care is needed when working with fruits whatever the season.
From spring onwards the care of the fruit trees is handled using careful pruning to ensure that only large and ripe fruits will grow. Maintaining the natural soil, ensuring pests are kept down and being observant of natural predators are all important factors in keeping the trees in a healthy condition.
With the arrival of summer the early harvesting begins. If the trees were well maintained the harvest should start off with a high yield of fruits being produced. Grapes, apricots, apples and more will continue to bear fruit on a large orchard, allowing for a good harvest.
Throughout autumn the majority of the fruits will be picked and prepared for later consumption through preservative methods such as canning. This is the time when fruits yielded by the trees will be at the highest and the majority of the picking will be done.
With the arrival of winter the last of the fruits such as apples, grapes or oranges will be picked and preserved. Seeds will be saved to be planted again for next year and the groundwork will be laid to ensure another bountiful harvest of fruits and vegetables.