Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/283151
48 APRIL 1, 2014 GOOD FRUIT GROWER www.goodfruit.com 360.333.4044 Casey Schoenberger Mount Vernon, WA Dramm Corporation Manitowoc, WI • U.S.A. www.FishFertilizer.com Extremely high levels of available Calcium & Phosphorus Natural Fish Fertilizers for Organic & Sustainable Crop Production BERRIES VINEYARDS ORCHARDS CONTINUOUS TRELLISLOK ™ (Nut) The Continuous TrellisLok provides all the advantages of the TrellisLok (strap); however, if you use the TrellisLok with AgLok, your maximum diameter is limitless. BRANCHLOK ™ Trellis & Fence Wire Anchor Embossed jaws grip the wire as it is inserted and prevent it from being pulled out. The wire is retensionable with a pair of pliers or a claw hammer. Toll-Free: 877.552-4828 909.451-2299 • Fax: 909.593-8309 Keeping things growing in the right direction! For your nearest dealer, contact AgFast at… its own apical dominance on that shoot. This allows for some continuing vegetative growth to retain the vigor of the branch, which in turn allows fruiting wood to be renewed, and optimizes fruit size and quality. When shoots or branches are spread more than 45 degrees early in the life of the tree, strong shoot growth often develops from the upper surface of the shoot or branch. With spreading, the tip of the shoot or branch must always be the highest point. Avoid bending branches When you bend a branch or shoot below the horizontal position—so that the tip is at the lowest point—the dominant bud at the highest point on the bend will develop into a strong vertical new shoot, especially when the trees are young. These vertical new shoots should be avoided as they cannot be made into suitable fruiting wood. They can also cause crowding and shading. Removal of these shoots in summer will not help because new shoots develop from latent buds around the pruning cuts. If there are apples on the trees, these masses of upright shoots can adversely affect fruit calcium levels and cause storage disorders. A pruning cut that faces up is a perpetual nightmare that can only be solved if you correct the angle above the horizontal position and restore apical dominance. Removal of these strong upright new shoots in summer can not only lead to exten- sive sunburn of the apples, but also removes a large proportion of the leaf area that the young trees need for growth. A general rule of thumb is that when you prune in summer or winter, you should see as few pruning cuts as possible when you look down onto the trees. When should you spread? In any tree-training system, the aim is to fill the tree's space as quickly as possible. This means you must encourage as much growth as possible in the first and second years. Spreading shoots or branches before they have filled their allotted spaces will ultimately delay the time when trees should be in full production. The best time to spread is in August and Sep- tember (February and March in the Southern Hemisphere), when growth slows down, but there is still enough sap flow to facilitate spreading and encourage strong structural development. You can spread in winter, but the shoot or branch may not spread as well as when you do it in late summer or in spring before flowering. A few hints Before spreading branches with narrow crotch angles, undercut them first. With a pruning saw that has fine teeth, make three cuts under the branch where it joins the leader. Space the cuts out about half an inch (13 millimeters) apart, and cut about halfway into the branch. The leader is the main part of the tree's frame and is situated directly above the root system. Shoots and branches that you spread must obey the 3-to-1 rule, which refers to the relative sizes of the shoot or branch and the leader. A shoot or branch must have a diam- eter of one-third or less of the diameter of the leader where it joins the leader. The 3-to-1 rule ensures that a dominant leader with a balanced structure of branches develops. Make sure that you always work with dominant leaders that are progressively tapered to the tops before you start spreading the shoots or branches. Spreading from the base up keeps the tree calm and in balance. Tatura Trellis or Open Tatura In a Tatura Trellis or Open Tatura, space the bottom and second wire 12 inches (300 mm) apart in order to establish the basal framework easily. All other wires can be spaced about 16 inches (400 mm) apart. To avoid choking the leader, select branches that are not directly opposite each other. The grower who adopts the practice of spreading, not bending, shoots and branches of young apple trees is taking the most important step in developing a productive orchard. • Bas van den Ende is a tree fruit consultant in Australia's Goulburn Valley. With spreading, the tip of the shoot or branch must always be the highest point.