Sep 9, 2015

Free cherry training guide also available as an app

A new guide called “Cherry Training Systems” is available for free download, and also is available as a free tablet app from iTunes and Google play.

The 63-page guide, developed by professors Lynn Long of Oregon State University, Gregory Lang of Michigan State University (MSU) and Stefano Musacchi and Matthew Whiting of Washington State University, describes seven major pruning systems used in commercial sweet cherry orchards around the world.

According to Lang, the guide describes the natural growth habit of cherry trees, options for rootstocks that can affect tree growth and precocity, pruning and training techniques to achieve efficient orchard production of high-quality fresh-market fruit, and the matching of rootstocks and training systems to variations in orchard growth conditions.

The guide includes explanations of four multiple-leader and three single-leader canopy training systems. The multiple-leader systems are Kym Green Bush, Spanish Bush, Steep Leader and Upright Fruiting Offshoots. The single-leader systems are Vogel Central Leader, Tall Spindle Axe and Super Slender Axe. The description of each training system includes recommended rootstocks, tree spacing and year-by-year training goals and developmental steps, according to Lang.

The tablet app is navigated by touching pictures of each system, swiping across the screen to switch between systems or pull up expanded illustrations and scrolling up and down through each year of training operations.

To find supplemental videos, search for the “giselacherry” channel on YouTube. The guide, apps and videos also can be accessed from a dedicated page of Gregory Lang’s MSU website.

– Matt Milkovich