Pruning Honeycrisp for Annual Production

Precision pruning is a strategy to reduce the flower bud number per tree to a pre-defined flower bud number through pruning. This video explains how to manage Honeycrisp flower bud load with an optimum of 1.8 flower buds (left after pruning) relative to final fruit number. Honeycrisp growers should use flower bud counts before and after pruning to precisely leave an optimum number of flower buds to guarantee annual production (and reduce biennial bearing) every year. The video also shows how to dissect and identify a Honeycrisp floral bud from a vegetative bud. Though this video focuses on Honeycrisp it contains basic pruning techniques that can be applied to all tall spindle orchards. Credits Video: R.J. Anderson/CCE Elizabeth Tee/CCE-LOF Photography: Elizabeth Tee/CCE-LOF Martin Goffinet/Cornell Univeristy Music: “Creative Minds” by Bensound (https://www.bensound.com/)