Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
In tall spindle designs, each tree may be supported on an individual pole
or the trunks may be supported only on horizontal wires, with three to five
wires forming the trellis. The bottom wire is usually about 2 feet above the
ground and can support a drip irrigation line. The top wire is usually 9 to
12 feet above the ground, and you will need stout support poles and bracing
at the ends of the tree rows. When poles are used, they are done so mostly
to keep the trunks straight, not to support the weight of the crop. Wooden
poles, metal electrical conduit, or 1-inch-diameter PVC pipe will all serve this
purpose. Training without poles can be very successful and is less expensive
than training with poles.
Space the trees 3 to 4 feet apart in rows that are 10 to 12 feet apart on
level ground, and 12 to 13 feet apart on slopes. This will allow for between
837 and 1,452 trees per acre. Rootstocks that have performed especially well
are M9 and Bud9; Geneva G41, G11, and G16 also work well. Tall spindles can
be used for any apple variety.
The system begins with feathered trees with trunks about
⁄
2
to
⁄
8
inch
1
5
in diameter. The first side branches should be about 3 to 4 feet above the
ground, with at least four to eight branches between 3 and 4.5 feet above the
ground. If you do not use support posts, you can place commercially avail-
able U-shaped wire clips around each trunk to hold it in place against the
horizontal wires. The clips install quickly and last for the life of the orchard.
