JoanneX wrote on Fri Aug 4, 2023 5:45pm:
Yes the trees have been maintained thoroughly for many years, the farmer is retiring now, how much would you charge per season approximately please
I will send you my phone number, and we talk of all the subjects. You could send me some pics, need to see the soil, and how are now the trees (size, age, health).
The trees need pruning, and I can do it, in winter. The soil need to be managed, the weed and its growing (the cut), in spring, 2 times, and maybe just before the harvest in august.
The harvest is the biggest labour, it takes times, but we could have help recruting people, or I could ask a guy with his special machine shaking the tree and collecting the fruits. In the industrial agriculture, they use to spread products against fungus in spring, and insects. Hope your orchard was free from them, because to turn an industrial farming toward an agroecologic one could take 2 or 5 years.
The last aspect it is the irrigation, with or without fertilizants. Without fertilizant, you should pay the watering around 400€ minimum during 5 month. How do you irrigate your orchard ? Installed tubes ?
I have many questions about the former managment : use of fungicide or others phytosanitary products ?