Last month I rambled on about my views on growing fruit with the best quality through best quality practices. I’m still on about that and now I want to focus on what will get you producing the best quality.

Remember this again is only my view. It’s a view that has formed from growing for more than 18 years and on a good number of blocks throughout the Bay of Plenty.

Without doubt, I bluntly say focus on tree vigour and the components to help increase tree vigour.

Firstly, a big focus is about nutrition. Getting your mineral and nutrient levels correct and readily available form is a target.

The accepted practice is to fertilise regular and often in small amounts. However, to achieve the best long term results you also need to understand the impact of pH and other minerals on each other. There are good sources of information readily available that discuss this in more detail.

The lower the pH, the less some minerals are available and vice versa.

Secondly, vigour it’s also a focus on tree health. A healthy tree grows with vigour and this includes the leaves and branches, the fruit and the roots.

It’s no good putting fertiliser on if the roots aren’t functioning. Getting the root zone active and in good working order is a high priority.

While mulch trials some years ago by the AIC struggled to identify a specific recipe for a best practice, the group involved all agreed mulch was an important consideration to tree health and vigour.

A tree with good vigour will grow better fruit and possibly more of it and to a better size. This focus on the root zone applies to the tree mass.

Pruning gives an opportunity to keep the leaf mass, root mass and fruit volume in proportion to the productive capacity of the tree. I recommend all tees should be visited by the pruner every year.

Thirdly, a focus on pest and diseases is about producing the most fruit available into a class one pack out. Class one provides the best financial returns.

Keeping your pack-outs high, +75 per cent should be a target however, these will slip as a two pick programme can see more time affected fruit.

AAL picked two orchards in a second pick strategy, grown under the AAL management programme in mid-February with 70 per cent pack-outs.

This reflect good tree health and good pest management.

Fourthly, another focus on tree vigour.  Pruning fertiliser, injecting and tree health all contribute to tree health and tree vigour. Recent fruit sizing trials indicate fruit grows all years albeit at varying rates. The spring/summer and the summer autumn flush are important. First the spring summer flush is the most important as it carries the flowering wood for the following year. This wood needs to be strong and more than 300m long. The secondary flush in the autumn is not so successful in producing fruit and reflects a growth that shows a tree with vigour. AAL uses injecting as a tool to maintain tree health and tree vigour. This autumn injection programme has proven to be quite successful.

It’s a simple receipt focus on tree vigour and growth.