There's no substitute for preparation

摘要

Nut growers who fail to plan are planning to fail, say nurserymen. Year after year, Tom Burchell sees the same mistakes. Growers are so concerned about the current year's crop that they don't take time out to plan for the following year. It's understandable, says Burchell, vice president of The Burchell Nursery in Oakdale, CA. Nuts are a late-season crop, with liarvest in October, which means they have to start preparing for 'the following year immediately after harvest. "It's tight for many growers," he says, "but some manage to do it." There are numerous advantages, says Burchell. First off, it's better to fumigate soil in the fall when it's not so cold and wet. Second, growers can actually save money right off the bat because they avoid cold storage charges, which add up to about dollar 40 a month per 300-tree bin, says Burchell. But most important of all, the trees simply fare better. "The trees really get a head start," he says. "They're ready to take off when spring hits."