Why Plant High Density Apples

[TITLE: Managing High Density Apple Orchards - Why Plant High Density?]

[Leslie Huffman is shown standing in front of a row of apple trees in an orchard.]

LESLIE HUFFMAN - Apple Specialist, OMAFRA >>  Hi, I’m Leslie Huffman, Apple Specialist, with the Ontario government. In this video, I’ll show you why high density orchards are the way of the future.

[Establishing shots of a variety of apple orchards are shown. Labourers working in the fields are also shown.]

LESLIE HUFFMAN >> Apple growers are planting new orchards for several reasons: - To be more profitable, to switch to more profitable cultivars like Honey Crisp and Ambrosia. And to improve fruit quality. High density orchards are more labour efficient. The potential for mechanization is good with long rows and uniform tree structures. High density orchards are ideally suited to achieve these goals. But, the investment is quite high, and some growers struggle with the high costs and the management required.

[Close-up shots of apples on trees in the orchards are shown.]

LESLIE HUFFMAN >> To understand the profitability of orchard investment, it is important to understand the value of small crops in the first five years. This is a key concept: Fruit produced in the early years is much more valuable than fruit produced in later years.

[Table showing the yearly growth potential for high density apple orchards is shown.]

LESLIE HUFFMAN >> If someone offered you $100 now, or $100 in one year, which would you take? Of course, you’d take the $100 now. Similarly if your orchard produced 100 bushels this year, or 100 bushels next year, which would you take? Again, this year’s fruit is more valuable. This is a basic concept of economics called Net Present Value or (NPV). Think of NPV as the opposite of interest paid.

[Labourers and farmers are shown setting up a high-density orchard following the step-by-step instructions set out by Leslie Huffman in the following paragraph.]

LESLIE HUFFMAN >> To ensure early cropping and profitability of new orchards, here are 4 key requirement: First, increasing tree density increases yields in the early years. Each tree carries a few apples, but more trees mean more apples. New orchards are ranging from 1,200 to 2,300 trees per acre. Second, dwarfing rootstocks will increase fruit size and promote early cropping. Dwarf rootstocks change how trees grow. They reduce the size of tree and grow more fruit buds. Third, tree support encourages the tree to produce more fruit buds, and less structural wood. A trellis is more economical than individual tree stakes, and reduces twisting in the wind. Install the support when you plant the tree to achieve the maximum benefit. Fourth, good soil moisture and fertility will promote strong tree growth. Trickle irrigation or mulch will work well. Our goal is to reach the top wire as soon as possible, and fill the rest of the fruiting area. Each of these requirements: tree density, rootstock, tree support and irrigation provide a horticultural advantage, and the entire package is needed to achieve the maximum results.

[Labourers are shown on orchard platforms, and beauty shots of many high-density orchards are shown.]

LESLIE HUFFMAN >> Orchard platforms have improved labour efficiency by 20-75% for pruning, thinning, and tree training. New developments are underway with mechanical hedging to reduce pruning, and future mechanization may include robotics and harvesting systems. Many growers struggle with the high density decision: large investment, existing equipment, available land, high yielding existing orchards, and the cost of trees. Planting the “whole package” achieves the benefits of high yields, reduced labour costs and improved fruit quality. The big question remains: Are you ready to “Do Density” and do it right? Most growers who have planted high density orchards will never go back.

[Leslie Huffman is shown standing in front of a row of apple trees in an orchard.]

LESLIE HUFFMAN >> For more information on planting new high density apple orchards in Ontario, please visit our website or give us a call.

[TITLE: Ontario.ca/Apples. Call: 1 (877) 424-1300.]