Small trees, big flavor: fruit tree growing in cities and

back yards

Presented by: Samuel A. Bishop II

Education Director, Trees New York

The fence in the background is about 6 feet tall, and this cherry tree is around 15 feet tall.

Problems:Trees hard to work on without a ladderTrees hard to harvest without a ladder

Trees cropping poorly when not prunedTrees outgrowing space

Trees shading other crops in garden/space

This peach is tall enough that any meaningful work required use of a ladder or pole pruner/saw. More difficult and dangerous for the gardeners, and a source of potential liability.

Bad Sam! PPE fail!

The same peach before pruning….

…and after. The tree had a OK open vase shape, but pruning had been neglected. Next year? Get out the ladder again.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Peach_orchard_in_bloom2.jpg By: Karen Blaha

Tall spindle/High density

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Intensive_apple_orchard.jpg By: Glysiak

Tall spindle concept:

1. The trunk is the permanent scaffold on which we grow fruiting branches

2. We use dwarfing rootstocks and root competition to help control plant size. Trees must be supported.

3. Branches are bent to horizontal or below to encourage fruiting and reduce vegetative growth.

4. We remove and replace the branches when they get too big. “Big branches make big trees”-Dr. Terrance Robinson

5. Control height by cutting the leader back to a side branch.

Image from: http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/horticulture/pomes/rootstock

http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/webarchives/20060114032859/http://re

s2.agr.gc.ca/kentville/pubs/fact01-01/index_e.htm

Bud 9

MM 106

http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/neworchard/english/apples/7system.html

Bend branches down to slow branch growth and encourage fruit growth

http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/neworchard/english/apples/12trainyr3.html

Once the tree gets to the desired height, keep it there by pruning back to a branch AFTER the crop or bending has bent the leader down.

http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/neworchard/english/apples/11trainyr2.html

“Columnarize” branches by removing vigorous side branches, but don’t remove fruit spurs.

Image from: http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/neworchard/english/apples/12trainyr3.html

Remove the 2-3 largest and any upright growing branches with a “bevel” cut, leaving the longer side on the bottom to make bending the new branch easier and discourage vertical growth.

Pear! (famous for getting very tall) Tree grown unintentionally as a somewhat tall spindle. Note branch bending, pruning the leader to control height. The tree had lots of fruit buds on it.

Close up of the leader, pruned at least 3 times to control height.

The principals of tall spindle

• Start with dwarfing rootstock (Bud 9 or similar size), you will need to stake!

• Plant close! 3 feet between trees.

• When you plant, tie all feathers to below horozontal.

• To control tree height, cut back top to a side branch.

• Pruning yearly: remove the 2 or 3 largest branches (over ¾” thick).

• Pruning yearly: “columnarize” branches – remove vegetative side branches, leave fruit spurs.

Tall spindle resources:

• Ontario Ministery of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs; Planting New Apple Orchards in Ontario. http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/neworchard/english/apples/intro.html

• Cornell University Extension & Outreach; Cornell Fruit http://www.fruit.cornell.edu/tree_fruit/GPGeneral.html

• Umass Amherst Fruit Advisorhttps://extension.umass.edu/fruitadvisor/resources/tall-spindle-apple

• Dr. Terrance Robinson keynote address on the tall spindle apple (including the story of its development) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08phlXqzkwU