7 - 



Mold -and -Hold Pruning 



"Mold -and -hold pruning" is a relatively new phrase to the Massachu- 

 setts fruit industry. I obtained the following concept of this pruning 

 system. Do little or no pruning and fertilize heavily the first 5 to 8 

 years to obtain a large bearing surface. Trees of some varieties may 

 be scored with a Ivnife to induce flower bud initiation after the fourth 

 or fifth year. When the trees are bearing fairly heavily and are of the 

 desired size, reduce the rate of fertilization and hold the tree size 

 by pruning. Tree size can be restricted by heading back or complete re- 

 moval of side limbs that crowd or get too long. When heading back a limb, 

 make the cut outside a younger shoot nearer the center of the tree. To 

 prevent the trees from getting taller, cut back any limbs or remove water- 

 sprouts which grow beyond the predetermined maximum height. Considerable 

 detailed pruning also is involved, because in addition to the corrective 

 cuts, all new growth is headed back. Since detailed pruning stimulates 

 growth, nitrogen fertilization must be adjusted to tree needs. 



Hilltop Orchards 



At Hilltop Orchards in Hartford, Michigan, we observed the perform- 

 ance of several apple varieties on various rootstock with varied plant- 

 ing distances. Of particular interest, was a planting of Jonathan, Red 

 Delicious, and Golden Delicious on Mailing VII rootstock. These trees, 

 which were spaced 16' by 24', averaged 9 years of age and by our stan- 

 dards had received little or no pruning. In 1965, the per acre yield 

 of these Jonathan, Red Delicious and Golden Delicious trees was 951 bushels, 

 602 bushels and 937 bushels, respectively. The present size of these trees 

 will be maintained by the mold -and -hold system of pruning. To me, the 

 trees appeared to be too thick, but this situation could be easily cor- 

 rected by gradual removal of some surplus scaffold limbs. 



One block of trees at Hilltop Orchards was planted in a double 

 hedgerow--interplants set to one side and between the trees in the row. 

 The double hedgerow is made possible by use of herbicides between and 

 under the trees. This planting system, along with mold-and-hold pruning, 

 may permit keeping the interplanted trees permanently. Whether or not 

 the double hedgerow is more satisfactory than closer spacing in the row 

 and between rows as a method of increasing tree numbers per acre, is not 

 known. Personally, I favor a single hedgerow system. However, this is 

 an opinion I 



Wallace Heuster, Manager of Nursery Production and Sales at Hill- 

 top Orchards, took us to the orchard of Everett Wiles, also in Hartford. 

 There we observed a block of mature Jonathan on standard rootstocks 

 being maintained at a 20' by 24-' planting distance. The growth was being 

 restricted by removal of all upward growing wood and by the cutting back 

 of scaffold branches. The tree spread appeared equal from top to bottom, 

 but most unusual was the removal of the vigorous wood and the leaving of 

 the drooping wood. We were told that yields of 1500 bushels per acre 

 were being harvested from this block. To me, this is further proof that 

 close plantings of trees on standard rootstocks can be maintained by 

 pruning to restrict tree size and to favor fruit color. 



