Establishing the High Density Supported Apple Orchard

Part 4: Planting the High Density Orchard

Table of Contents 

1. Planting Date
2. Orchard Row Direction
3. Planting the Tree
4. Pruning at Planting: SS and VA

 Planting Date

Plant as early as possible in the spring. This is a much underrated key to early tree establishment and maximum growth in the first year. Mark out your rows as soon as possible in the spring and arrange to have your trees on site in order to plant as soon as conditions permit. Studies have shown that along with tree quality early planting has a greater effect on early growth than even irrigation and fertilization. Keep track of soil temperatures at planting depth. New roots will form when soil temperatures reach 7°C, and existing roots start to grow at temperatures lower than 7°C. 

Fall planting can be beneficial on well-prepared sites in Southern Ontario. Trees must be fully dormant, and planting should be completed as early as possible to allow for root establishment. 

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Orchard Row Direction

It is preferable to have the rows running north-south where possible. This row orientation is best for achieving the maximum light utilization that is so important in high density plantings. Only consider another orientation if north-south rows would result in air movement being blocked or reduced or if there is machinery safety factor to consider on slopes. In some other areas, prevailing winds make it very difficult to train a new planted orchard in a north-south orientation. In this last case, it may be best to reduce tree density and change row direction to allow for smoother air flow through the orchard.

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Planting the Tree

Many methods of planting can be used:

1. a shovel
2. an auger
3. tree planter

The tree planter is considered the best method where all of its requirements for use can be met. With tree planters trees can be planted very quickly which is important for high density plantings in order to capture the often short span of ideal planting time.

A drawback to tree planters are that they require almost seedbed preplant preparation of the ground, in order to ensure good contact between the soil and the roots, especially in wet ground. They also require that the tree height be adjusted by hand immediately after planting which may cause some root breakage.

Augers avoid these drawbacks and do a satisfactory job when used in light and medium soils. In heavier soils, however, glazing on the sides of the hole can occur. This can seriously restrict future root growth unless the auger is modified to fracture the side of the hole to prevent pot sides. When augers are used it is important that they make a hole at least 50 cm (20 in.) in diameter to prevent curling of roots. A double auger is a piece of equipment which makes a planting hole and a post hole at the same time.

Shovel planting is another option. It does a very good job with few drawbacks, but it is slower. Regardless of the method used, avoid digging the planting hole too small or deep. Excessively deep holes that have to be backfilled before the tree is planted tend to settle, lowering the bud union too close to the ground.  Avoid backfilling planting holes with dislodged vegetation.

Make sure the roots are never allowed to dry out. Keep trees protected from wind and sun, and totally covered with a plastic sheet or tarp when moving them. For immediate planting, soak the roots in a barrel of clean water for no more than 6 to 12 hours before planting.

If the trees must be held, make sure the roots are kept moist at all times and the tops do not dry out. A cold storage is excellent but make sure it is free of any ethylene gas from previously stored apples that can damage the new trees. Heeling in the roots is preferred to common barn storage. Finally, it is imperative that the trees have not broken dormancy before planting. 

Before planting the trees, trim off any excessively long roots and any broken, damaged, or dead root ends. Place the tree with the side where the bud was inserted away from the prevailing wind and away from the support stake. Remember to balance root and shoots ratios. A well feathered or branched tree may not be advantageous if excessive root loss happens from the digging to replanting stage.

The tree should be planted at a depth that will leave the bud union 8 - 10 cm (3 - 4 in.) above the ground after settling of the soil occurs.

Any lower and the dwarfing effect of the rootstock will be lost. When planting try to control the planting height precisely. Avoid pulling the tree up to the proper height after planting. M.9 roots are very brittle and break easily when the tree is pulled up.

Position the tree straight for VA and trellis plantings, or angled slightly away from the supporting system for SS. Make sure, regardless of the planting method, that the loose soil is tramped firmly after planting. This ensures good soil-to-root contact and helps to eliminate air pockets.

After planting make sure the tree receives two soakings with water early in its life, either by rain or irrigation. This should totally eliminate air pockets. A liquid transplant fertilizer, e.g. 20-20-20, should be applied immediately after planting in the first watering. Mix this fertilizer according to the label and apply this drench over the root area of the tree. In sandy soil this solution often spreads over a large area and does not penetrate to the roots.

Growers have been very successful injecting the fertilizer solution into the area of the tree roots with home made devices. A probe (often 2 in. copper pipe x 1 m long) plumbed to a sprayer, can be pushed into the ground under the tree to soak the root areas. When the probe is withdrawn, the entry hole is closed by stepping on it.

If granular fertilizer has not previously been applied for the first year, apply 60 - 100 g of 34-0-0, two weeks after planting. Band it around each tree in a circle of at least 30 cm radius. Applications should be made before cultivation or irrigation in order to incorporate the nutrients for immediate uptake and use 

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 Pruning at Planting: SS and VA Training Systems

Immediately after planting, and while the tree is still dormant, it must be pruned. 

If you have planted a "whip" make a heading cut at 80 cm from the ground. The leader of the whip once pruned can be bagged to encourage maximum limb development.

Spur types and weaker whips should be headed slightly lower (70 cm) and vigorous varieties can be left a little higher (90 cm).

If you have planted a tree with feathers on it (shoots same age as stem from which they originate), remove all feathers below 60 cm, and any that are too vigorous or have bad angles. Any feathers longer than 40 cm should be cut back by 1/4 to 1/3 of their length. All remaining feathers should be of nearly equal diameter. If you have 4 or more useful feathers remaining, head the leader 20 - 25 cm above the highest useful feather. If you have less than 4 well-spaced feathers remaining, remove them all using a "Dutch cut" (Fig. 5), and handle the tree like a whip. If the feathers are badly located (for instance, all to one side on the stem) they should all be removed with the Dutch Cut. 

Figure 5. A Dutch Cut (often called a bench cut) is made when a limb is removed on an angle and not flush with the trunk. The cut is close on the top and wide on the bottom to hopefully allow latent buds to grow a usable limb at the location where an unusable one was removed.

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