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nafex - [nafex] multiple trees in one hole

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  • From: Steven Covacci <filtertitle@aol.com>
  • To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [nafex] multiple trees in one hole
  • Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2013 21:06:39 -0500 (EST)





I ended-up, after years of thinking about it, executing the multiple trees in
one hole strategy.


This is my take on it, with some questions - in case if you have some
experience or ideas with these sub-points:


-Where using dwarfing rootstocks (in my case, sweet-cherries, apples, pears
and mountain-ashes only), the same clone of rootstock is used.
Concern: I don't even know why I'm using dwarfing rootstocks on the apples
and Asian pears (rounded form), or maybe on any of these for that matter. I
feel that I could just literally hack the trees down to no higher than 8'
every few years (like I saw my neighbor did to an apricot - and is doing
fine). Dwarfing rootstocks will be a problem in a drought. Before it's too
late, I'm thinking of burying the graft-unions of these and exchanging the
benefit of early precociousness and less frequent need of pruning for
peace-of-mind in increased drought-stability and tree longevity.


-Where not using dwarfing rootstocks (sour-cherries, plums,
peaches/nectarines and apricots - rootstocks buried), further conflicts of
growth-vigor will be expected.
Concern: limited.


-I plant the trees in triangles at 2' apart from each other. This will mean
that larger-trunked species (plums, for instance) may eventually fuse at the
very base. I feel that all three will function as a single tree - none of
this competing for nutrients idea, because their roots will fuse in time
(inosculate). So the 3 cultivars will not compete any more (or less) than a
tree conceptually subdivided into three parts (the part facing- East, West
and South).
Concern: I hope that this will not mean that debris will get trapped
in-between the interface of the trunks and cause moisture to get trapped.
Also, can a fourth tree be added which is facing north - how will this be
productive, unless it will only be if it can tower over the other three that
do get direct light (east, west, south)?


Thanks,
Steve






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