Updated: Sept 22, 2025
The two most labour intensive tasks in the orchard are pruning the apple trees and thinning the apples. Last year we put on 6,500 fruit protection bags. This coming year we will put on much fewer protection bags. The apple maggots were not much of a problem this year.
Pruning usually starts mid April and ends near the end of May. We normally do multple passes through the orchard, the early pass is to eliminate crossing branches and water sprouts. Later passes involve removing dead branches and opening up the canopy for more light. The work group size will normally be small since most volunteers will likely have little experience pruning. Likely just Frank and up to 3 helpers. Training is provided.
Apple thinning starts about the third week in June and goes on for about a month. Apple trees produce clusters of apples usually about 5 apples per cluster. We pick off or cut off all of the apples in a cluster except one. Comercial orchards use chemicals to thin the apples, organic orchards do this by hand. Thinning the apples allow the apples to grow larger and helps to keep the trees from going biannual.
I think most people will enjoy helping just to get away from the city to enjoy the quietness of the country. This year the evening before the orchard opened we had a little dinner and then went out into the orchard to pick apples.
For the past number of years we have been grossing $5,000 to $11,000 with expenses eatting up 1/2 the income. The main motivation to keep the orchard open and running is all the thank-you's that we receive in the fall, the orchard is a labour of love. We expect to have enough money to donate $5000 to charity in 2025. 2025 was a particularly good year as far as revenue.
Just send an email to frank@attracted2apples.