Pruning and Training - Growing Organic Orchard Fruits - page 648

series of fruiting branches that are distributed more-or-less evenly around
and along the leader, rather than to form distinct whorls of branches every
18 to 24 inches.
As the trees mature, thin out drooping and crowding branches. Head back
laterals that start to turn upwards, crowd neighboring trees, or intrude in-
to the alleys. For each fruiting lateral, in summer pinch off the tips of new
shoots when they are about 6 inches long. Thin out or head back branches
that are more than one-half the diameter of the section of trunk where the
branch is located. Based on Oregon State University recommendations, you
may need to renew as many as 10 to 15 fruiting branches each year in ma-
ture trees. Figure 12.20 ➔ shows a Vogel central leader sweet cherry tree.
Spanish Bush
The Spanish bush system see ( figure 12.21 ➔ ) uses dwarfing rootstocks to
produce high-density orchards that provide high early yields with low labor
costs. Most of the fruit can be harvested without ladders. In colder climates
and on poorer soils, which limit cherry tree growth, use more vigorous root-
stocks.