Pruning is an important cultural practice which helps to
control the humidity in the canopy, contributing to lower overall pest and
disease pressure. As with anything, however, there is more than meets they eye
when it comes to the best ways to prune your plants.
With the unexpected onset of cool and wet conditions in the Valley, it seems to be an appropriate time to cover some best practices when it comes to pruning your crop. These will help manage the risk associated with Botrytis infection and keep your crop growing strong.
· Be sure to remove the entire leaf and leaf stem, cutting right up to the main growing stem. Allowing residual tissue to stay there makes you vulnerable to botrytis infection, which will travel up the stem stub and into your main stem.
· Try to prune on sunny days. This will ensure that there is less moisture in the growing space, and will dry up the newly created pruning wounds before temperature drops again through the night
· Prune your plants first thing in the morning – this gives the plant an entire day to mend the pruning wounds, before temperatures drop, and condensation collects inside the production space
· Try not to prune too heavily at once. The plant will need some time to adjust to the new source/sink ratio (# of leaves to # of buds), and it is best not to shock the system. If you have some ambitious pruning plans, spread them out over time
· Pruning efforts are typically concentrated on the bottom of the plant, but don’t forget about the rest of the canopy. If you find there are overly dense sections in the middle or top, do not hesitate to remove one or two leaves to create more air space. Look at the overall plant before pulling leaves off and assess where the plant needs it most.
Regular pruning schedules are highly recommended and will help create a more consistent crop production schedule. Consistency from crop to crop is key, and managing air flow through the canopy is going to drastically reduce the amount of botrytis in the crop.
Posted by: Talia Plaskett