The Sweet cherries high density orchard systems manual suggests four orchard systems for the efficient production of cherries: • Tatural Trellis • Open Tatura • Cenral Leader • Aussie Bush .
These systems have the potential to intercept more sunlight and produce more fruit per hectare than the traditional, widely-spaced trees.
The four systems also introduce techniques of tree management that encourage early yields of fruit of high quality.
In addition, the four orchard systems make pruning and harvesting easier.
Here we take a close look at the Aussie Bush. For tree training techniques and details of the other orchard systems, please refer to the manual, Sweet Cherries high density orchard systems
Aussie Bush
The Aussie Bush is a new way of growing cherries without a trellis, yet trees can be closely planted to obtain early and high yields of quality fruit.
The tree training and tree structure of the Aussie Bush are different from the Spanish Bush. The Aussie Bush conforms with the upright growth habit of the cherry tree and relies on the application of Cytolin to promote fruiting branches.
Heading the leaders is only done when the trees have spurred up and produced fruit. Thus, the training of the Aussie Bush concentrates on developing a set of upright leaders with fruiting branches that obey the 3-to-1 rule (see manual for details) and are horizontally positioned.
The principles and practices of vigour control, promoting fruiting branches, training and pruning the trees are the same for Aussie Bush as for the other orchard systems with the exceptions that: the shape of the Aussie Bush tree is different, and it has no permanent support system.
Suggested planting distances and corresponding tree density are: 4.5 m between rows and 2.5 m between trees in the row = 888 trees per hectare.
Aussie Bush—first year
Plant small to medium sized cherry trees which have buds low down the trunk from which you can select the correct shoots (future leaders).
Large trees can lack enough buds low down the trunk to make proper selections.
Tell your nurseryman what you want and visit the nursery to make sure that you get what you ordered.
After planting
After you have planted the nursery trees, cut them back to 300mm above the ground. Paint the cuts immediately with Garrison and spray the trees with Bordeaux to prevent bacterial canker.
It is not easy to select four shoots of even size. (cont next issue)
See this aticle in Tree Fruit March 2023
This article is from the Orchard Manual: Sweet Cherries high density orchard systems
Get the cherry orchard manual here
