Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
the branches are trained to an angle below horizontal using weights and tie-
downs.
DIVIDED CANOPY TRAINING SYSTEMS
Tatura and other divided canopy training systems are sometimes used
for cherry production and can be very productive. The move today,
however, is toward central leader trees and narrower rows. Divided
canopies with cherry trees tend to become very dense and are likely to
increase pest and disease problems. For that reason, I do not recom-
mend them for organic growers.
Sweet cherries have strong apical dominance and often develop long sec-
tions of “blind wood” without fruiting laterals. To form the laterals in the
lower and upper fruit zones, some growers head back the leaders to 50 per-
cent of their length during the first three dormant prunings to force later-
al buds to develop into fruiting branches. This practice, however, slows tree
development and reduces yields during establishment. Rather than heading
the leader to force laterals, leave the terminal bud but rub off about six buds
below it with your thumb just as the buds are swelling in spring. Then leave
about every third bud along the leader to develop lateral branches, as we
discussed earlier. Use this spacing as a guide, but make sure you develop
branches that are evenly distributed around and along the trunk. Mature
Managing mature trees.
Once the cherry trees mature, pruning mostly in-
volves thinning out excess wood to keep the canopy open and develop
renewal fruiting wood. To accomplish this, thin out several of the larger
branches each year in both the upper and lower zones. When cutting back
