Hello In our area we are used with making fruit from vigour, we try not to use chemicals or girdling, or root cuts, to lower the global shoot growth. This we think would drive the orchard to less potential. In most of the situation, no pruning (at least till fruit set comes), rope bending, low nitrogen supply can achieve the job. This is investment since it takes only 2 or 3 years of intensive care. What we call equilibrium is reached when the tree crops on a regular base, and makes the necessary and sufficient wood and buds for the next year. Depending on soil climate conditions, rootstock, variety habit, the equilibrium is reached for a tree volume that can be very variable (2 meters to 6 meters tall trees). Tree and row spacing at plantings must anticipate this tree volume, not so easy to tune.
Jean Marc Jourdain www dot Ctifl dot fr France south west ________________________________ De : [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] De la part de Harold Schooley Envoyé : mardi 10 mars 2009 20:32 À : Apple-crop Objet : Apple-Crop: Early bearing Would someone care to divulge a recipe for getting slow-to-bear varieties into production sooner. I have Northern Spy in mind using Ethrel or NAA or combinations. Apogee perhaps. Other techniques? Harold Schooley Schooley Orchards Limited Simcoe, Ontario Canada
