What are the problems with branches?

• A: Branch manipulation
• B: Angles and sizes of branches and limbs
• C: Angles and positions of branches and limbs
• D: Branches & limbs with different growth habits
• E: Dormant heading cuts create vigour
• F: Bent branches and sunburn of apples

Benefits of a branchless multi-leader tree

Different parts of a branchless tree

• What are fruiting units?
• Fruiting units of branchless multi-leader trees
• What is a spur?
• What are vegetative spurs?
• What are reproductive or fruiting spurs?
• What is known about spur leaves?
• What role do shoot leaves play?
• What are axillary and terminal buds?
• Not all floral buds are the same

Making good use of sunlight

Upright vs Angled canopies

How many leaders per tree?

Choice of rootstock & suggestions

Branchless two–leader trees on an upright trellis and on Open Tatura

Tree training: First year — two leaders per tree

• Planting
• Leader selection
• Guiding the leaders up the strings
• Materials for canopy & tree support
• Remove any sylleptic shoots
• Remove any new shoots
• Select leaders of equal size
• Maximise canopy surface area
• Using two branches developed in the nursery

Tree Training: Year 2 — give the head a good start

• De-blossom and de-fruit the trees
• Controlled canopy development
• Create fruiting units,force growth of new shoots
• Support the leaders
• Canopy development

Tree Training: Year 2 — the bench cut

The dormant 2-year-old tree: Leaders are dressed with young fruiting units

How to deal with a few semi-strong shoots to become fruiting units

Plant polliniser trees

The branchless four-leader tree  

Tree Training: Year 3 — for trees with two or four leaders

• STEP 1: Create fruiting units in the upper part of the leaders with a foliar spray of Cytolin
• STEP 2: Pluck the apical portion of the leaders
• STEP 3: Score

Prune trees in winter to consistently maintain high yields of target fruit NEW

• Renewal pruning
• The 1,2,3, rule
• Artificial spur extinction, a type of spur pruning
• Spur trimming, a type of spur pruning

How many apples to leave on young trees after thinning

• 1. Predict potential crop load from tree size
• 2. Predict potential crop load from the interception of sunlight by trees
• 3. Thin fruit and monitor fruit growth

Benchmarks for marketable yields

Thinking of grafting-over?

Tree nutrition

Replacing nutrient losses from harvested fruit

Nitrogen for branchless apple trees

Calcium: in the soil, tree and fruit

Crop load management: pruning and thinning

• Pruning
• Thinning

What happens to trees after harvest?

What causes biennial bearing?

What is water core?

Avoid skin russet

How do apples turn red or pink? 

• Sunlight
• Temperature

Sunburn symptoms and control

Hail net

• The benefits of hail net
• Crop load
• Bee activity
• Type of hail net/structure/shape
• Colour of net

Water & stress

When are apples ready to harvest - Nine maturity tests

Six steps to prepare soil before planting

• STEP 1. Have your soils tested
• STEP 2. Grade your block (if necessary)
• STEP 3. Apply lime, gypsum, rip and cultivate the soil
• STEP 4. Hill up the surface soil
• STEP 5. Sow ryegrass or let weeds develop
• STEP 6. Spray out ryegrass or weeds before planting

Soil organic matter

How useful is a soil test?