I have a Tall Spindle Orchard (PYO) in the Endless Mts. of Northern Pennsylvania about 1/2hr south of Binghamton, NY. The planting is in its 6th year; 3ft spacing with 13 ft between rows, approx. 3 acres. The rootstock is Bud 9 and M-9 depending on the variety. Real easy to prune and maintain. Minimum to NO ladders except at the 10Ft + height as the trees matured. My best customers are families with children under 15 yrs. because they can all reach 80% of the fruit.
On Fri, Jul 4, 2014 at 1:06 PM, Kevin Hauser <ke...@kuffelcreek.com> wrote: > This photo is at a PYO in Massachusetts not far from Belchertown that has > nice-sized trees for pedestrian picking, with the highest apples within > kid-sitting-on-the-shoulder's reach. Marty is 5'2" and so you can see the > scale. The clerk didn't know the rootstock, but my guess is something > smaller than Bud. 9 or M9. > > https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/100097230/PYO%20Mass.JPG > > Kevin Hauser > Kuffel Creek Apple Nursery > Riverside, California > Nakifuma, Uganda > > On Fri, 4 Jul 2014 11:29:24 -0400, Arthur Kelly <kellyorcha...@gmail.com> > wrote: > > Maximum yield isn't necessarily the same thing as maximum sales. In my > > opinion, the selling is more important than anything else. Yes, good > > yields of good quality fruit is important, but being good at selling and > > how much you are able to get for what you have to sell trumps everything > > else. If you are able to sell for $40.00/bu what needs to happen to get > > that price in terms of customer experience is the priority. > > > > p.s. No, we are not able to get that much but there are farms in the > area > > that do. We still wholesale a large percentage of the crop. > > > > Art Kelly > > Kelly Orchards > > Acton, Maine > > > > > > On Thu, Jul 3, 2014 at 2:13 PM, David Doud <david_d...@me.com> wrote: > > > >> not an expert here, but it's my understanding in a spindle system the > >> space between trees in the row is determined by what renewal pruning > will > >> fill and that much over 3' between trees in most situations would > require > >> permanent woody architecture to keep the space filled, which brings > about > >> several horticultural challenges - > >> > >> then the space between rows versus the height of the trees becomes a > >> calculation to maximize yield - > >> > >> in a you-pick situation I'd suggest that maximum yield would be a > >> secondary consideration to logistics - that wider rows and shorter > trees > >> for convenience and safety would override a certain percentage of > maximum > >> theoretical yield - > >> > >> I shudder to consider what strategies the public might employ to > harvest > >> that beautiful apple just out of their reach... > >> > >> if my understanding is incorrect, feel free to challenge - > >> > >> David > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> On Jul 3, 2014, at 11:21 AM, Matt Pellerin wrote: > >> > >> Thanks for the responses. I was thinking of going to a 10 x 3 orchard > >> growing Honeycrisp on M26 and Macoun on Bud 9. I think the 10 x 3 > >> spacing > >> puts the tree height at 8.5' which will work pretty well for > >> pick-your-own. > >> On this kind of spacing, will I still be within the Tall Spindle > >> category? > >> Will I have to make adjustments in my pruning methodology or will the > >> typical tall spindle pruning and training recommendations work? > >> > >> Thanks, > >> Matt > >> > >> > >> On Thu, Jul 3, 2014 at 8:26 AM, <kuffelcr...@kuffelcreek.com> wrote: > >> > >>> I concur with Dennis' evaluation of Dr. Robinson's videos; this system > >>> has > >>> forced even stubborn high-chill varieties to transition from > vegetative > >>> mode to fruiting mode in hot climates and the tropics. > >>> > >>> I wanted to address Matthew's desire to keep the trees around 6' tall. > >>> This sounds like it would take a very dwarfing rootstock like M27; do > >>> any > >>> of our growers have experience training these as tall spindle? > >>> > >>> Kevin Hauser > >>> Kuffel Creek Apple Nursery > >>> Riverside, California > >>> Nakifuma, Uganda > >>> > >>> On Thu, 3 Jul 2014 00:23:19 -0500, <dmnor...@royaloakfarmorchard.com> > >>> wrote: > >>> > matthew, > >>> > > >>> > We have been growing tall spindle in northern Illinois in a > >>> pick-your-own > >>> > orchard for around 5 or 6 years now. The system has been improving > >>> > over > >>> > the years and currently the newer spacing being recommended by Dr. > >>> Terence > >>> > Robinson > >>> > from Cornell is around 12' x 3'. I highly recommend watching the > >>> > videos > >>> > at YouTube he did at the Winter Apple School in Henderson County, NC > >>> found > >>> > at http://youtu.be/gJF4wLgXnK8 > >>> > > >>> > After viewing this video and others on the BRCC TV - The Educational > >>> > Channel on YouTube covering the Tall Spindle System, we will be > making > >>> the > >>> > recommended changes to our current system of 14' x 4'. > >>> > > >>> > Hope this helps. > >>> > > >>> > Dennis Norton > >>> > IPM Specialist/Certified Nurseryman > >>> > Royal Oak Farm Orchard > >>> > 15908 Hebron Rd. > >>> > Harvard, IL 60033-9357 > >>> > Office (815) 648-4467 > >>> > Mobile (815) 228-2174 > >>> > Fax (609) 228-2174 > >>> > http://www.royaloakfarmorchard.com > >>> > http://www.royaloakfarmorchard.blogspot.com > >>> > ----- Original Message ----- > >>> > From: Matt Pellerin > >>> > To: apple-crop@virtualorchard.net > >>> > Sent: Wednesday, July 02, 2014 2:55 PM > >>> > Subject: [apple-crop] Narrow Tall Spindle Layout > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > I am a grower in central Maine that operates a pick-your-own > >>> > orchard. > >>> I > >>> > will be planting a tall spindle orchard next year. I would like > to > >>> plant > >>> > the rows as narrow as possible in combination with shorter trees > so > >>> the > >>> > customers can reach more of the fruit. My orchard tractor is 54" > >>> wide. > >>> > How narrow can I plant my tall spindle orchard with this > equipment? > >>> > Also, what would be the appropriate tree height at the narrow row > >>> > spacing? > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > Thanks, > >>> > -- > >>> > > >>> > Matthew Pellerin > >>> > Agricultural Manager > >>> > Treworgy Family Orchards > >>> > 3876 Union St > >>> > Levant, ME 04456 > >>> > > >>> > www.treworgyorchards.com > >>> > > >>> > 207-884-8354 > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > >>> > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > _______________________________________________ > >>> > apple-crop mailing list > >>> > apple-crop@virtualorchard.net > >>> > http://virtualorchard.net/mailman/listinfo/apple-crop > >>> _______________________________________________ > >>> apple-crop mailing list > >>> apple-crop@virtualorchard.net > >>> http://virtualorchard.net/mailman/listinfo/apple-crop > >>> > >> > >> > >> > >> -- > >> Matthew Pellerin > >> Agricultural Manager > >> Treworgy Family Orchards > >> 3876 Union St > >> Levant, ME 04456 > >> www.treworgyorchards.com > >> 207-884-8354 > >> _______________________________________________ > >> apple-crop mailing list > >> apple-crop@virtualorchard.net > >> http://virtualorchard.net/mailman/listinfo/apple-crop > >> > >> > >> > >> _______________________________________________ > >> apple-crop mailing list > >> apple-crop@virtualorchard.net > >> http://virtualorchard.net/mailman/listinfo/apple-crop > >> > >> > > -- > Kevin Hauser > _______________________________________________ > apple-crop mailing list > apple-crop@virtualorchard.net > http://virtualorchard.net/mailman/listinfo/apple-crop > -- Michael D. Vaughn Owner / Manager Pie-In-the-Sky Orchards
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