North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Dennis Norton" <dmnorton@royaloakfarmorchard.com>]



I read somewhere, I think it was in The Pruning Book by Lee Reich that you can prune the roots of container grown trees to control size also. 

 

I have a photo posted on  http://www.theorchardkeeper.blogspot.com of the vertical axe system for peaches. We have our trees planted at 8' apart, although I have seen them as close together as 5'.  Our trees are in 3rd leaf with some replacements at 2nd leaf.  We had trees bearing at 2nd leaf and will have many trees bearing at 3rd leaf this season.  I have pruned to central leader/vertical axis and have seen no delay in production from our trees.

     

Dennis Norton
Royal Oak Farm Orchard
http://www.royaloakfarmorchard.com
http://www.theorchardkeeper.blogspot.com

----- Original Message -----

From: mauch1@aol.com

To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org

Sent: Monday, May 01, 2006 10:35 AM

Subject: [NAFEX] Pruning strategies for M27

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