North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[mauch1@aol.com]

I'm using Vertical Axis (French Axe) which has similarities to slender spindle,

and mine are planted out on my property.  How close are your trees?  How

far apart are they from each other?  Are they bearing?  Could you move

the containers farther apart?  Tom's recommendation regarding

pruning a 1/3 off sounds good, if you're pruning to central leader (at

least that's what it sounds like to me).  I was surprised to realize that

central leader delays production. 

 

I like this link that describes the French Axe system:

http://tfpg.cas.psu.edu/french_axe/slide1.htm

 

This has some comparititive information on different pruning styles:

http://tfpg.cas.psu.edu/apple_trellis/introduction.htm

 

Also:

http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/facts/hdappch3.htm

http://orchard.uvm.edu/uvmapple/hort/ROBINSON_ModernAppleTrainingSystemsVTFGAFeb2006.PDF

 

 <<I have several varieties of apples on M27 rootstock in containers. I am
training these using a slender spindle method by winding the central
leader up a stack in the containers. The problem that I am facing is the
the lower scaffold branches are becoming quite wide and probably need to
be shortened to prevent the trees from engulfing each other.>>

 

Chris Mauchline
SE PA, zone 6
40° 5' N 75° 51'W
~650 ft elevation