Pruning and Training Methods 



USDA System . The system involved heading cuts and developing 

 limbs m tiers (Figure 2). 



MOW TO GET THE HIGH DENSITY TREE OFF TO A GOOD STA«T 

 HEAVY MA«KS SHOW WHERE PRUNING CUTS SHOULD BE MADE. 



I -yaOf'Old ttctton 

 compiling ihooll 



minol ihoof 



R«mov« all 

 Heod bock Hr- 



2 y«ar-old t«(hon Select and 

 h*od lateral bronchei Remove 

 unneceiiory loteroU 



3-reor-otd tection Spfeod bronch- 

 ei, remove forked termmalt *o o 

 lingle thoot and heod IKot moot. 

 Head fide ihooti 



4 year old tcctton Spreod branch- 

 e», remove foried termlnall lo o 

 lingle iheel and head H^al ihool 

 Heod tide ihootf 



S-yeor old leciion and older If 

 tree hot filled oHoned ipoce, 

 head back where neceitory into 

 2 yeor-old wood to on unheeded 

 tide ihoot Avoid heading cut» 

 Into 1 -yeor-old thoott until the 

 tree It fruiting well 



Fig. 2. A diagram of the "constructive training" program suggested by Dr. D.R. Heinicke in USDA Agriculture Handboc 

 No. 458 entitled "High Density Apple Orchards— Planning, Training and Pruning." (Reproduced with permission i 

 the author.) 



The central leader and each 1-year-old shoot on scaffold limbs were 

 headed during dormant pruning by removing 1/4 to 1/2 of the past 

 season's growth. The central leader was headed to induce branching 

 so that a tier of scaffold limbs could be developed 24 inches above 

 a lower tier of limbs. The heading cuts on shoots ' originating from 

 scaffold limbs were made to encourage developm.ent of lateral shoots 

 to increase fruiting potential. 



In May of each year, 2 or 3 vigorous shoots developed from the 

 buds directly behind the heading cut on the central leader and later- 

 al shoots. When shoot growth was 4 to 6 inches long, one shoot on 

 each central leader and each headed lateral shoot was selected as 

 the permanent extension shoot and competitors were removed. Limb 

 spreaders were used when needed. 



Tier System . Pruning and training procedures were similar to those 

 for the USDA systemexcept that none of the 1-year-old shoots on 

 scaffold limbs were headed. 



Slender-spindle System . All the scaffold branches 18 inches above 

 ground level were kept except for those with narrow crotch angles. 



