Ginda,
I hope you don't mind me commenting on your goals. They appear interesting.
But I think if you're planting a tree for your kids to climb,
you may be talking about their kids actually being able to
climb it. I'd branch low to make it easy to climb. I luckily
have two trees (one crab, one stayman winesap [that's being
grafted over to other things] that can act as climbing trees.
What is the reach of the typical deer? 6 ft? 8 ft? I guess
I've also gone w/ smaller trees, as I saw my Dad's trees on
semi-dwarf rootstock take years to start producing (I think
the Northern Spy took over 12 years - the others were shorter
times). Plus I don't like to do a lot of climbing or balancing
on a ladder.
Support can be rather simple. I use the U channel treated
lumber (the stuff made to be the outer frame for the pre-made
lathe trellis). I am planning to extend their height this
year by attaching a cement filled 1/2" pvc pipe into
the "channel" of the stake. (I know this may not sound
particularly "simple", but I find these fairly easy to handle.
I went on a garden tour years ago where the orchard was full
size trees. The owner had the tree pruned to a vase, but the
outer parts of the branches weeped down. Don't know how he
achieved this.
Good luck!!!
Chris Mauchline
SE PA, zone 6
40° 5' N 75° 51'W
~650 ft elevation
I'll have to think about it. I've decided my goals are >different from
those of a commercial grower. for example, I want a tree >that doesn't
need support, that has a large portion of it's foliage and >fruit above
the "deer line" and that children can climb. (I'd also >prefer it
doesn't get TOO big.) If this doesn't maximize fruit >production,
that's okay. (Although I obviously want fruit, too.) I will >consider
an open structure, rather than a central leader.
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