Fact Sheet November Orchard Management

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1 Fact Sheet November 2012 Orchard Management

2 Orchard management Choice of variety Apples are potentially a good crop to grow in Wales with opportunities for direct retail sales and adding value by producing juice. The average life of an orchard is around 15 to 20 years so attention to detail is needed at the planning stage. Deciding on the type of orchard is key. The options are a traditional orchard or more modern intensive. Pears are somewhat marginal throughout the UK for profitable commercial production and can only be considered on the very best sites. Orchard types A traditional orchard is grown on a wide spacing pattern of around 10m x 10m or 100 trees per hectare and will have the first branches at shoulder height and could be grazed underneath. A more intensive orchard will be planted at 3.5m x 5m and will have 570 trees per ha. A traditional orchard will take 10 years or more to achieve full potential; an intensive one 4 to 5 years. The type of orchard will affect the variety and choice of rootstock. There are hundreds of apple varieties. In Wales it usually pays to opt for reliable disease resistant cultivars. Species should be selected for resistance to scab and canker with regular cropping, especially for wetter areas in Wales. Harvesting can begin in mid August with apples available up until the end of January with rudimentary storage. Fewer rootstock trees are grown speculatively each year so any large quantities of unusual apple varieties will have to be budded or grafted to order. There are a large number of other varieties of eating, cooking and cider apples to choose from and some research is advised. Most varieties can be expected to perform reasonably well in most years. Varieties that are seen to do well in your location can be propagated and heritage varieties may attract premiums. Mixed orchards will pollinate each other but consider adding some malus pollinators; these are crab apples and produce a lot of blossom and pollen for the fruiting varieties. Tree suppliers Some proven varieties include: Kidd s orange Golden delicious Crispin Chivers Delight Discovery Katy Bramley (Culinary) Egremont russet Saturn Sunset Boskoop Worcester Pearmain Red Devil Red Windsor Falstaff Cider varieties: Yarlington Mill Harry Master s Dabinett Michelin Tree suppliers need to be able to supply good quality trees that arrive with good roots and no pests and disease. Cost of trees commercially is typically 5-10 per tree depending on size offered and quantity required. In addition, budget on a 2 metre high stake to support the young tree and a rabbit guard which should be fitted on the day of planting as rabbits can bark ring and damage a tree overnight

3 Site factors to consider before planting an orchard Rootstocks Conditions for orchard establishment Height above sea level ideally orchards are best planted up to 125 metres (approximately 400ft) above sea level. Some sites higher than this can be planted but need to be well sheltered. Marginal sites above this height can be planted but do not expect a good crop every year. Soils these need to be well drained and at least 300mm in depth. Shale soil is usually good as it is fissured to a good depth. This allows good root penetration and quick establishment of the trees. Soil sampling for fertility and ph - these will both need checking before orchard establishment and any deficiencies remedied. For orchards, both top and subsoil fertility levels require sampling. Aspect - shelter is useful in exposed areas and can be planted at the same time as the orchard. In the past, Alder was the preferred choice but now tends to be prone to phytophthora, so other species may be used. Consider hybrid poplars and willows as suitable replacements. Avoid frost pockets such as the bottoms of slopes and valleys as cold air will drain down. Late frost will damage the blossom and so destroy the apple crop for that year. Traditional trees grow well with grass below them; intensive trees are often maintained with a weed free strip beneath - this is because the trees are highly productive and weed competition can reduce yield potential. Apple trees are produced by grafting or budding the desired variety onto a rootstock. The rootstock will convey some predictable attributes to the variety or scion chosen and will give easier management than if the tree was grown on its own roots. Budding and grafting is a specialised skill but could be learnt with some training. These rootstocks were classified by East Malling Research Centre so the industry had a range of standards with known attributes to work with. Traditional trees are produced on MM111 or M25 Medium on M26 or MM106 Small on M9 Intensive orchards are usually on the more dwarfing stocks whilst the traditional orchard will be on the vigorous ones. Very vigorous varieties especially triploids such as Bramley need to go on a more dwarfing rootstock. Triploids have extra chromosomes and as such are very strong growers so need more control from the rootstock. Do not plant trees during very wet weather. If your soil is temporarily wet and boggy delay delivery of trees until conditions get better. Take care when handling trees, avoid damage to bark and branches as that allows canker to get in. When your trees are delivered ensure that the roots do not dry out. Heel the trees in a shallow trench making sure the roots are covered in soil and protect them from cold winds and rabbits. Alternatively, enclose the trees in polythene bags or sheets or cover the roots with peat and either store on pallets or in bulk bins in a cold store. Don t store them for long periods, as there is a theory that this can encourage the development of canker

4 Planting Pruning It is vital to get planting right and recommended that sufficient trees for half a day s planting are taken into the orchard at the same time. Trees should never be left to dry out. Other points to consider include: Some growers soak trees for 24 hours in water before planting to ensure that the root system is well wetted. Keep them heeled in or covered with a sheet on the trailer until you need them. The planting season is November to March so there should be some good weather in that window. Work with your propagator over deliveries. Don t dig holes in advance, as the soil structure and roots will suffer from waterlogging if it rains. Dig holes and plant at the same time. Use a fork to break up the sides of the hole and prevent smearing whether you have dug holes by hand or machine. There is no need to dig a bigger hole than the root ball of the tree you are planting. Firm the soil gently around the tree roots. Do not stamp hard or you will cause compaction, impeded drainage and resultant root loss. Protect trees against rabbits and voles if planting in grass immediately after planting and tie your trees onto the stake to avoid wind-rock. Do not incorporate organic matter into the planting hole as this may create a sump; however the application of an organic matter mulch after planting is beneficial. The type of tree affects the actions taken in pruning. Traditional orchards will normally be standard trees or lollipop shaped on a clear m high trunk before the first branches. Trees in intensive orchards tend to be centre leader trees where the cropping branches begin at hip height. This gives the tree a triangular or Christmas tree shape. In this system the cropping branches are mostly waist level to facilitate easy picking. In an intensive orchard, the purchased tree may be a whip, a single shoot tree of 1.5 to 2m in height. This has to be pruned at planting to encourage branches where you want them. On a centre leader tree this would be cut back to hip height or 1.2m and this will then induce branching at that level. The branches will be fruit bearing. Ideally 5 branches are produced evenly spaced like spokes on a wheel, plus one shoot to continue to grow vertically as a leader in the middle of the tree. Steep branches are tied down as the more horizontal the branch is, the more readily it will crop. Annual pruning then consists of preventing large branches growing above the fruiting layer, some replacement of the fruiting layer and maintenance of the leader. On the traditional orchard trees the same is done but higher up to get the basic five branch tree, but with no central leader. If the whip isn t big enough to top at 1.5 to 2m then it may need a season or more to get more established to reach the desired height before topping. Again flatter branches are required as they will bear the fruit. Some trees may arrive feathered and these will have low branches already. If these are very low, remove. If they are above 1 metre they can be left to help aid establishment. Future pruning will entail keeping an open centre like a wine glass. Upright wood should be removed together with any crossing and diseased branches. About 20% of growth should be removed to keep a balance in the tree. This area is quite complex and it is advised further assistance or training is used so you understand the principles

5 Pests and diseases Marketing The three principal diseases are Scab, Canker and Powdery mildew. The best way of avoiding these is through the use of resistant varieties. With pests, some type of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is best adopted so natural biological agents plus bought in ones help keep pests down. If the apples are required for juice or cider then skin finish is less critical. Weed control Ideally the trees need to be kept free of weeds including grass. Often a herbicide strip is used to grow trees without competition. Traditional orchards may be grassed but the grass is kept down by mowing. The trees will have to be well established and protected before sheep can go underneath them as they will graze off bark especially in bad weather and can also reach branches surprisingly high in the trees. Yields On ideal sites an intensive orchard with precocious varieties will produce some fruit in the second year after planting. Traditional orchards will take much longer and will not achieve a similar yield to an intensive orchard. Expect 8 tonnes/ha from a traditional orchard 10 years after planting and tonnes/ha on an intensive orchard from years 5-12 assuming no serious bad weather event when the crop is flowering. Ideally you will have designed your production unit around a marketing plan. Apples can be sold through local markets like farmers markets, restaurants and hotels or from a farm shop. Local supermarkets are another possibility but often these markets will have very high quality thresholds. Good robust markets in Wales would favour apple juice and cider production. Here a perishable crop is converted into a product with a long shelf life and there are opportunities for establishing a brand. These products also tend to be much more valuable than the fresh apple. To make apple juice, three basic items of equipment are required. One is a scratter or pulp mill where the apples are reduced to a pulp. Then a press is needed to press the juice out. These can be barrel presses or rack and cloth and the size depends on how much output is likely to be required. On a larger scale a continuous belt press could be used. All of the plastic barrels, scoops and anything else the juice is in contact with needs to be food grade. Finally, a steriliser will preserve the juice and this process must be carried out very accurately as it will affect the lasting quality of the juice. Generally a 70cl bottle is used but a smaller 30cl could be useful if the juice was aimed at children. In cider making the juice is collected in a container - often an ex spirit oak barrel is selected. In the rawest form the juice is simply put in the barrel and fermented naturally on the wild yeasts on the apple skin. If the production of large quantities and predictable quality is required, it may be necessary to remove the wild yeasts and replace with a commercial strain

6 Contact Licensing rules apply to cider. It is recommended that you check on the HMRC website ( for registration information and thresholds before duty is paid. The Glastir Scheme will support some traditional orchards and renovations so check what is available at farmingandcountryside/farming/glastirhome/?lang=en For further information and one-to-one guidance through the Farming Connect Whole Farm Plan please contact or visit Further information is also available at For more information on Farming Connect services and events, contact us: Phone menterabusnes.co.uk website /farmingconnect Author: Chris Creed, ADAS Catch up with all the latest news from Farming Connect by joining our online community. Follow us on: Facebook facebook.com/farmingconnect Farming Connect support, guidance and training is delivered by Menter a Busnes on behalf of the Welsh Government 9