Vacation… what vacation?!

I get information from the Internet that powerful storms are sweeping across Poland, bringing havoc through windstorms and hailstorms. Although we have most of the orchard protected by hail nets, the strength of the phenomena is so frightening that I’m beginning to wonder if these hail protection structures can crumble like dominoes. I have seen, on multiple occasions, orchards destroyed by extreme weather events.

Fortunately, we live in the 21st century, which gives us many technological opportunities. During a week’s vacation, I have a remote view of the situation related to the conditions in the orchard (access to a weather station), and I can manage the watering of the plantation remotely. I can check the soil’s moisture content and decide on irrigation based on that. I do not do it blindly. It is a carefully considered decision thanks to which we save electricity and minimize the intake of water, which is becoming increasingly scarce. Some of the water for watering the plantation is taken from a pond where I ‘catch’ water in winter and early spring.”