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[Rodney Eveland <Reveland@WYOMING.com>]

I noticed that they use a clothespin at firstleaf of the Vogel spindel
method. As there is more than one kind of clothespin available I am
wondering which kind is best and exactly how do they apply it. Also the
part about small branches should be ripped out rather than stubbed as
mentioned in Disease control?????

http://extension.oregonstate.edu/wasco/horticulture/j1_sweetcherrytrainingsystems.html

 New High-Density Sweet Cherry Training Systems Show Promise


Although the majority of sweet cherry orchards in the United States are
still being trained to an open vase system, American  growers are
beginning to recognize and desire the advantages offered by other
systems. Driven by the high cost of labor, scientists and growers in
Western Europe have pioneered the research and development of several
very interesting cherry training systems.

Increased productivity is of primary interest to the European cherry
grower. Pickers are paid by the hour rather than the pound;
consequently, the harvest process is slow. By growing smaller trees,
productivity can be increased significantly, especially in systems such
as Spanish Bush where two-thirds of the crop can be harvested from the
ground without ladders.

Throughout Germany and most of northern Europe, bacterial canker is also
a major concern. Both the Vogel and Zahn Spindle systems help to reduce
the incidence of bacterial canker in orchards and therefore, may be of
interest to New York growers who struggle with this disease.

VOGEL SPINDLE
Utilizing the natural growth habit of cherry trees, very few pruning
cuts are required with this system during the establishment years. This
training system provides good light penetration and high early yields.
In Germany, where the Vogel system was developed, dwarfing rootstocks,
such as Gisela 5, help control tree height, a critical factor in any
central leader system.

Establishment (Figure 1)
  Typical spacing 9 feet x 15 feet.
  Planting: If possible plant a feathered tree. Tie down branches to
horizontal. If planting a whip, head at 30 inches.   Bud removal: As
buds swell in early spring, leave top or terminal bud, remove next five
to six buds.

First Leaf (Figure 2)
  Attach clothespin to trunk once new shoots reach four inches.
  Move clothespins to branch tip to keep shoot flat as it grows.
  To keep branches flat maintain moderate vigor by avoiding fertilizers
until cropping.

Second and Third Leaf (Figure 3)
  Head leader if it has grown more than 30 inches.   At bud swell leave
top or terminal bud; remove the next five to six buds.   Clothespin the
emerging branches as before.   Encourage lateral branches throughout
trunk length rather than distinct whorls.   Laterals which are greater
than one-half the diameter of the trunk should be removed or stubbed
back.

Mature Trees (Figure 4)
  Branch renewal: Each year a percentage of bearing branches should be
stubbed back to eight inches
  or thinned to side laterals.
  Remove spurs on the underside of branches to reduce crop load and
encourage fruit size.
  Maintain tree height: At maturity, cut terminal leader back to a weak
lateral after harvest.

The Vogel system was developed in a high rainfall area where bacterial
canker can be a severe problem. The fact that few cuts are made reduces
the likelihood of infection. European growers and scientists maintain
that stub cuts also lessen the potential for this disease.

ZAHN SPINDLE
Contrasting with the Vogel Spindle, the Zahn Spindle system is a second
system out of Germany. Developed for use with full size rootstock, tree
size is controlled through pruning and competition in a high density
planting. The Zahn Spindle was also developed to curtail the incidence
of bacterial canker, which is often severe in the moist, humid climate
of northern Germany.

Establishment (Figure 5)
  Typical in row planting distance for Mazzard or Colt rootstock is
three to five feet.
  If possible, feathered trees are planted.
  Head whips at 30-36 inches depending on vigor of stock. Weaker
rootstocks should be headed harder.
  Lateral branches are not bent. Upright and vigorous laterals are
headed, leaving five or six buds. 
  (If laterals grow larger than one-half trunk diameter then they are
headed.)
  Flat branches that grow from these buds are selected; others are
removed or cut back.

Disease Control
  Stub pruning is purported to stop canker advance. (Figure 6)
  It is believed that ripping out branches reduces bacterial canker
incidence. Small branches should be ripped   out rather than stubbed
back whenever branch placement inhibits good light distribution. (Figure
7)

Second Leaf (Figure 8)
  Central leader is never cut. If second year branch is too thick (>1/2
trunk diameter) it should be cut back   12 inches. Upright shoots are
also cut back.

Mature Trees (Figure 9)
  Heavy pruning in treetop helps maintain pyramid shape.
  Thin strong branches to weak laterals to keep branches from growing
into neighborhood trees.
  Cut leader shoot in half to control tree size when tree reaches
maturity.

SPANISH BUSH
The Spanish Bush system was designed to provide high early yields on
trees easily harvested from the ground. Although trees can be grown,
with success, on full size rootstock, they are much easier to control
and provide much earlier yields on dwarfing stock. In trials in Oregon,
Gisela 6 has provided these yields with an easily manageable tree.
Unlike the Vogel Spindle, precocity of the Spanish Bush systems is
achieved primarily from the precocious rootstocks and the dense
plantings and not from the system of pruning itself. Typically in Spain,
trees are planted 6 feet x 12 feet apart.

The Spanish Bush system is dissimilar from the Vogel system in many
respects. Trees are pruned hard the first two years and early tree vigor
is encouraged. In Spain, by the end of the second year the tree
structure is formed and pruning and tree growth is discouraged to aid
production.

Establishment, First and Second Dormant (Figure 10)
  Head whip 12 to 24 inches above the ground after bud break. Be sure
four to five buds exist below the cut.
  Multiple branches will grow from these buds.
  First Dormant: Head all branches. Leave shoots eight to 12 inches
long.
  Second Dormant: Head all new shoots. Leave shoots eight to 12 inches
long.

In Spain where they get more tree vigor than in New York, these heading
cuts would be made in the growing season of the first or second year.
However, due to the much lower growth potential in New York, dormant
season pruning may be advised.

THIRD LEAF TO MATURITY
By the third year, tree structure is formed and vigorous growth should
be discouraged so that the tree will begin to bear fruit. At this point,
a shift is made away from heading cuts to thinning and branch renewal
cuts. Thinning cuts should be used to maintain light penetration to the
tree center.
  Obtain good light penetration through thinning cuts. (Figure 11)
  Branch renewal: Cut back a percentage of the bearing branches each
year to a four to eight-inch stub to
  renew the growth. (Figure 12) After harvest, trees are topped and
hedged to maintain a height of 8 feet.   (Figure 13)

The Spanish Bush system produces a true pedestrial orchard. Two-thirds
of the crop can be harvested from the ground, without ladders. With the
small tree size, the potential also remains to cover the orchard against
rain damage. Where this system is grown in Spain, the soils are very
poor and a clonal mahaleb rootstock is used. On more vigorous soils in
New York, Gisela 5 or 6 should be considered.
>From lucky.pittman@murraystate.edu  Sat Mar  1 17:25:47 2003
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From: Lucky Pittman <lucky.pittman@murraystate.edu>
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Apple tree training
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I haven't done much in the way of training on my trees - and it 
shows.  But, you can use a spring-type clothespin to attach soda cans to 
the miscreant limb, by way of its pulltab, and add whatever amount of 
water/sand, etc. you need to achieve the degree of spreading you desire.

Lucky