Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
A “standard” apple is about 25 feet tall or somewhat taller. You can
reasonably argue that 20-foot-tall trees on a particular rootstock are
dwarfs. Technically, that is correct. From a practical perspective, that
amount of dwarfing is insignificant.
Training Systems
Regardless of the size of your trees, it is important to select a suitable train-
ing system to create an efficient and productive orchard. Choose a system
that will optimize the fruit-bearing surface of the trees and the number of
trees for your orchard. Note that I use the word
optimize
, not
maximize
. We
want the system to be sustainable for the long term. We also want a sys-
tem that works well for organic production and that fits the site and your
lifestyle. Which training system you select determines the amount of labor
needed to manage and harvest your trees, and it has a huge influence on
pest and disease management strategies and effectiveness.
Training systems and rootstocks are introduced here to help readers be-
gin planning the orchard layout. Detailed descriptions for various training
systems and instructions for creating and maintaining them are found in
chapter 12.
Pome and stone fruit trees can be grown freestanding or supported on
trellis wires and/or poles. Until roughly the 1970s, freestanding trees were
the rule, with the occasional exception of ornamental trellising of apples and
pears in landscape designs. Since then, wire and pole systems have been de-
veloped for the high-density production of tree fruits. The goals of these sys-
tems are to produce fruit, rather than wood; bring the trees into production
quickly; increase yields; and increase profits.
A word of caution: One of the most common mistakes new growers make
is to plant their trees too closely together, which soon creates crowding and
