In "ye olden days" they would use a strap with nails, or a metal chain, and whip or beat their apple trees around the trunks. That action wounded, or bruised, the trees and stressed them, just as super dwarfing rootstocks stress trees, and cause them to go into early bearing. Nova Spy, like its siblings Sweet 16 and Sandow, has branches that want to grow straight up, so they need to be bent to a more horizontal position, even if they are on dwarfing rootstocks.
Bending the entire trees, as in espalier training, or in a hedge row along a wire, also encourages earlier bearing. If going into your orchard with a whip to beat your trees, I would suggest doing it after dark so nobody can see you. Daryl Hunter Keswick Ridge New Brunswick, Canada ----- Original Message ----- From: dmnor...@royaloakfarmorchard.com To: Apple-Crop Sent: Wednesday, March 11, 2009 2:20 PM Subject: Re: Apple-Crop: Early bearing We have found that branch bending has worked the best for us on B9 and M9 as well as M26. We use the rubber bands now and find that they require the least amount of time of any other technique. We use the bio-degradable in May and they are gone by August or just after terminals have set. With the wires, you have to go back and retrieve them later which does take some time. With either vertical axe or tall spindle, pruning is at a minimum, so more time is saved on pruning. In my opinion, this is the most cost effective method of all. We are now in the process of going back to our vertical axe trees planted 8 x 14 and are converting them to tall spindle as we interplant new trees between 4-5 year olds and doubling density to 4 x 14. If anyone is interested in more detail feel free to contact me. Dennis Norton Royal Oak Farm Orchard Office (815) 648-4467 Mobile (815) 228-2174 Fax (609) 228-2174 http://www.royaloakfarmorchard.com http://www.theorchardkeeper.blogspot.com http://www.revivalhymn.com ----- Original Message ----- From: Maurice Tougas To: Apple-Crop Sent: Tuesday, March 10, 2009 7:00 PM Subject: Re: Apple-Crop: Early bearing I've found all the techniques mentioned work to some degree. I suspect that the more of them employed, the more likely you will succeed. One mentioned only briefly was the bending of branches below horizontal. It can be.... is very time consuming, and very effective. People of course have been using spreaders, weights, kite string, pea string, rubber bands,...... but what we've been using for a few years now are 18-24 inch pieces of soft 14 or 16 ga wire. Either bend a small loop at each end in the shop, or carry them straight in bundles and make quick loops in orchard. Quick and easy, and can be repositioned later. If 18" is too short, loop two together. Mo Tougas Tougas Family Farm Northborough, MA On Mar 10, 2009, at 6:58 PM, jscr...@aol.com wrote: My experience is that in Virginia Spys are late producers. Scoring really works. There are more and less severe scoring, you might want to try several types on some limbs. The least severe is one cut around the trunk under the scaffold limps. The most severe would be to remove about 1/8 inch section. Some remove a larger section and replace it upside down. It is most important to cover any such wound to keep it from drying and from fire blight. I have used several layers of masking tape. It will come off by itself later. One or two weeks after bloom is when I have made the scoring. Good luck, you can really get their attention with scoring. John Crumlpacker Timberville, Virginia 540 896 6000 In a message dated 3/10/2009 4:00:47 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, schoo...@kwic.com writes: 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 Orchards Limited Simcoe, Ontario Canada ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Need a job? Find employment help in your area.
