Ready for the Spring?

We've been waiting for spring, and now it seems like we are already behind. While there is still some time, here's a short list to help you get ready:

• Fertility program - consult your leaf analysis results, and adjust from last year's rates; also planning for foliar calcium sprays on bitter pit-prone cultivars like Honeycrisp and Red Delicious
  
• Pruning follow-up assessment - vigorous or heavily-pruned trees may benefit from Apogee, summer pruning may help poor colouring cultivars
  
• Sprayer set-up - invest in new nozzles for your airblast sprayer and redo your calibration for each size/shape of tree or block; set up a separate weed sprayer and do the calculations for each size of weed-free strip; get a wick wiper or hand sprayer ready for spot treatments of problem weeds
  
• Weather monitoring equipment - be ready to track maximum/minimum temperatures for calculation degree days for pest thresholds; be ready to track temps starting at green tip for CougarBlyt and MaryBlyt
  
• Pesticide storage - ensure that all requirements are met for the Pesticides Act - locked, ventilated, no drainage, proper signage, spill clean-up kit and emergency numbers at hand
  
• Pesticide labels - update your set of labels and MSDS with the most current, including new products that you may use
  
• Permit to take water - check your expiry date, or begin the process to apply for a new permit. Be ready to record your water useage for your reports.
  
• Irrigation & fertigation equipment - check pumps, lines and sprinklers, as well as injectors - irrigation season may not be far away, some years in early May
  
• Worker's safety training - be sure to post the proper signage, and have records that workers sign that they have received proper instruction for ladder use, chemical handling, power equipment, machinery, etc. Make sure your first aid kit is up-to-date, and that emergency numbers are at hand.
  
• Support structure maintenance - check your tree trellises and/or staking
  
• Hail and frost protection - identify which sites might benefit from the installation of wind machines for frost; assess the potential of hail netting or hail cannons, and how that fits in with your crop insurance
  
• Plans for IPM scouting - whether you plan to hire a scouting service or do it yourself, write down your needs - number of scoutings per week, traps and how to record them, prepare orchard maps showing "hot spots" for various insects, diseases or weeds, assemble reference materials - and sign up for scouting workshops (see below)
  
• Paperwork - make up sheets on clipboards, binders, folders - whatever works for you. Records are more apt to be kept up to date where it is convenient. Be sure to assess results from last year eg. Packout records, scouting reports, financial comparisons
  
• Planning for orchard removal - applying for OVTP funding, ordering trees for 2010 and 2011
  
• Food safety program - most growers received a binder with the latest apple food safety program. Take a minute to read through and start on documenting your great safe crop of apples. This record will show your due diligence in the event of any unfortunate incidences.

I'm sure you can add something else that needs to be ready as this season starts. The list may seem long, but it's all important.