Hello all, Point 5 is in my mind probably the most vital to get right. If this does not work the system will not work.
Quote: "5) This shearing shortly before solstice allows for short extension of growth. As solstice is passed, days begin to become shorter. As days become shorter, tree is keyed to shift from vegetative growth to reproductive, and so extension growth is limited and conversion of growth to fruiting bud initiation begins. 5/ yes that's the explanation from Louis Lorette who did a theorization of summer pruning in early 20th. In our case I am afraid that we did a more empirical work, designing trials to find the best pruning date in our conditions. The 10 leaves date, seems to work for France." I have been looking at summer pruning for many years, and in our part of the World, a 10 leaves point of pruning, or just around June 21st, does not work. In fact, for most varieties, early August, perhaps even the second week of August, is the appropriate time. The date at which a shoot can be headed with reasonable expectation of forming a fruit bud on resultant brindle seems to depend on crop load, soil nutrition and soil type (which can vary across a field or orchard), water availability, apple variety, use of gibberellin inhibitor (like prohexadione calcium) and then something like an "Indian Summer" (an unusually warm spell in mid August) can cause re-growth of buds which you would expect to set fruit buds, resulting in turn in no shoot tip fruit buds. What I am attempting to put across is that using mechanical pruning with this system is not without difficulty, and what may work well in France may not work so well elsewhere. A most interesting conversation; many thanks. Con Traas The Apple Farm Cahir Ireland _______________________________________________ apple-crop mailing list apple-crop@virtualorchard.net http://virtualorchard.net/mailman/listinfo/apple-crop
