Minimizing bark injury with mechanical shakers

Shaker injuries to the bark of trees can be minimized by careful operation of properly designed equipment. One careful grower, Andrew Micke of Tehama County, has been harvesting prunes with a commercial shaker for five years with no indication of serious damage. He has lost a few limbs but no trees. He was probably the first person to mechanically shake prunes with a tractor shaker, according to extension service records.