Understand Fruit Trees provides fruit growers with the mindset and tools necessary to improve on, and sustain, a profitable orchard operation.

A deeper understanding of what goes on within the tree can only enrich your appreciation and the fascination of working in concert with this wonderful creation, the fruit tree.

File contains 143 pages of information, images and illustrations
File size: 7.5Mb

The manual deals mainly with how to start and maintain cherry trees in several intensive orchard systems:
Tatura Trellis •Open Tatura •Central Leader •Aussie Bush.

To successfully use any of the intensive orchard systems described, it is strongly recommended that you refer to our other manual Sweet cherries—orchard management. The two manuals complement each other to give you all the details on how to manage your high density cherry orchard.

Growing sweet cherries has gained new momentum as more varieties are now available that have superior qualities, are self-fertile, can extend the harvest season, and the fruit are more resistant to rain-cracking. 
Other factors that have contributed to a resurgence in cherry growing all over the world are:

• New high density orchard systems which promise early and high yields of fruit of good quality.
• New methods to create fruiting branches, and to prune and train young trees to increase early fruitfulness.
• The introduction and evaluation of size-controlling rootstocks.
• New methods to reduce rain cracking of fruit.
• More reliable control of damage by birds.
• Modified atmosphere packaging.
• Better management of pests and diseases.

The Orchard Manual has 43 page of information, images and diagrams. File size is 4Mb

Growing sweet cherries has gained new momentum.

More varieties are now available that have superior qualities, are self-fertile, can extend the harvest season to more than eight weeks, and the fruit are more resistant to rain-cracking.

Other factors that have contributed to a resurgence in cherry growing all over the world are:

• New high density orchard systems which promise early and high yields of fruit of good quality.
• New methods to create fruiting branches, and to prune and train young trees to increase early fruitfulness.
• The introduction and evaluation of size-controlling rootstocks.
• New methods to reduce rain cracking of fruit.
• More reliable control of damage by birds.
• Modified atmosphere packaging.
• Better management of pests and diseases.

The manual deals mainly with how to start and maintain cherry trees in several intensive orchard systems.

A section on varieties has been included to help you decide which ones to plant.
The manual describes in detail how to use Cytolin (called Promalin overseas) to promote fruiting branches.
The manual also mentions rootstocks, bacterial canker, rain, birds, pollination, fruit quality, and spur development as they form part of the overall management strategy.

Many pictures and drawings illustrate the methods of promoting fruiting branches and training the trees—needed to establish the foundation of the four high density orchard systems discussed in our other manual, Sweet cherries—high density orchard systems.

• 83 pages of information, photos and illustrations
• File download: 4 Mb
• Updated and expanded: July 2020

If you contemplate planting a new peach or nectarine orchard, you should study and consider carefully one of the following orchard systems:
■THE KELK ■CENTRAL LEADER ■TATURA TRELLIS ■OPEN TATURA.

Each of these systems has good and bad points. There is no such thing as a perfect orchard system. However, these four systems have the potential for trees to intercept more sunlight and produce more fruit per hectare than the traditional, widely spaced, open-vase trees that have been the 'bread and butter' for orchardists for many years.

The four systems also introduce methods of tree management that encourage early production in the life of the orchard and good production of fruit of high quality. They also reduce pesticide use, are more labour efficient and are banker friendly.
The Kelk, Central Leader, Tatura Trellis and Open Tatura are distinctly different. You must decide which one you can afford and which one suits you best.

The file contains 42 pages of practical information, photos and illustrations.
File size: 3.5Mb

List of topics

• Orchard starts with good quality nursery trees
• The Kelk:
  • How to start
  • When to head
• Central Leader:
  • How to start
  • Keep strong shoots under control
  • Encourage the leader
• Tatural Trellis:
  • How to start
• Open Tatura:
  • How to start with one-leader or two-leader trees
• Problems with open vase and renovation

Knowledge of the fundamentals of light interception and the influence of shade, the variety’s growth and fruiting habits, pruning and training, provide a basis for choice of tree size, shape and spacing, time and degree of pruning and training system for optimum production and efficiency.
Since an orchard system integrates many factors, this manual also deals with tree density, interception and distribution of sunlight in fruit trees, crop loading, thinning, fruit quality, tree nutrition and wind.

The manual has 51 pages of information, photos and illustrations.
File size is 3.5Mb

Topics in this manual

This manual was written to help you make the best decisions before you start an apricot orchard.

Once you have done your research and made up your mind, this manual gives you instructions on how to start, manage and grow apricots profitably on a tree training system called Open Tatura.

• 87 pages of information, photos and illustrations
• File download: 6 Mb
• Updated and expanded: Jan 2018

This manual outlines how best to manage pear trees on Open Tatura, and get the outcomes in terms of fruit production.

It emphasises how to:

• Achieve a full and efficient tree canopy at an early tree age
• Sustain optimum fruit production over the projected life of the orchard
• Produce fruit of high quality and good size.

The Open Tatura, where the trees alternate left and right, differs from the Tatura Trellis. The Open Tatura is open, because a narrow strip about 0.50 m wide separates the diagonally planted trees within each row.
Costs and supply of labour are critical concerns. Eliminating ladders boosts workers’ productivity—the more work people can do from the ground, the more efficient they are. The Open Tatura combines early production of high quality fruit with efficient management of labour.

• 127 pages of information, photos and illustrations
• File download: 8 Mb
• Updated and expanded: Jan 2019

A good knowledge of how pear trees grow and fruit, and how they differ from apple trees, is essential for managing a branchless multi-leader pear orchard.
Since a picture is worth a thousand words, we have illustrated this manual with many photos and drawings, as we have with our other manuals.
The branchless multi-leader tree is a good example of a controlled canopy with good distribution of sunlight. This poses new challenges for orchardists, hence the need for a manual that complements our popular manual: pear on Open Tatura.

This manual contains important aspects of pear behaviour, and shows you step-by-step how to develop and train the branchless multi-leader pear tree.
The branchless multi-leader pear tree is a relatively new training system in Australia and the manual will be progressively updated.

• 160 pages of information, photos and illustrations
• File download: 12.5Mb
• Updated and expanded: Jan 2018

Topics covered in the manual

This manual has been written for:

• those who want to plant a new Open Tatura orchard with apple trees
• those who must manage such an orchard
• nurserymen who grow apple trees
• anyone concerned with the establishment, management and performance of an Open Tatura apple orchard.

This manual emphasises how to:

• Achieve a full and efficient tree canopy at an early tree age
• Sustain optimum fruit production over the projected life of the orchard
• Produce fruit of high quality and good size.

Since a picture is worth a thousand words, we have used many drawings and pictures to illustrate the important points on how to manage apple trees on Open Tatura.

• 168 pages of information, photos and illustrations
• File download: 10 Mb
• Updated and expanded: July 2020

This manual shows the orchardist, step-by-step how to develop and train the branchless multi–leader apple tree.

The manual can be followed by unskilled orchard workers.
The branchless multi–leader apple tree is a relatively new training system in Australia and will be progressively updated.

The branchless multi–leader tree is a good example of a controlled canopy with good distribution of sunlight.
This poses new challenges for orchardists. Hence, orchardists need a manual that complements our current manuals on apples.

Since a picture is worth a thousand words, we have illustrated this manual with many photos and drawings.
This manual helps you to manage your orchard carefully, with intelligence and thoughtfulness.

• Over 200 pages of information, photos and illustrations
• File download: 16 Mb

This manual has been written for:

• those who plan to plant a new orchard
• those who must take care of young apple trees and manage a high density orchard
• nurserymen who grow the trees
• those who in any way are concerned with the establishment, management and performance of high density apple trees.

The Central Leader in this manual has a set of scaffold limbs at the base with branches above it, called the spindle.
The spindle is a spiral of branches that become progressively weaker (softer) towards the top.
The guidelines for planting densities and tree training have been designed for growing apples on Central Leader in countries
that have hot and dry summers with high sunlight intensity.

Manual is 100 pages of information, photos and illustrations
File size: 5.5Mb
Updated and expanded July 2020

Until now, instructions on how to start and maintain a high density plum orchard were virtually unavailable.

We have put this manual together to give prospective plum growers the latest information on managing three of the most productive orchard systems for plums.

Tree shape, tree spacing, pruning and tree training are cultural practices that the orchardist has control over to influence precocity, production and fruit quality.
Opportunities to manage trees which produce crops soon after the trees have been planted, and which crop well and give quick returns, have stimulated interest in high density orchards for plums.

52 pages of information, images and illustrations
File size is 5Mb

List of topics

• Central Leader:
  • How to start
  • Second year
  • Third year and beyond
• Tatura Trellis:
  • What to do after planting
  • Second year
  • Third year
  • Fourth year and beyond
• Open Tatura:
  • How to start
  • First year
  • Second year
  • Third year and beyond
• Open Tatura with Cordon:
  • Features
  • Start and Manage

Opportunities to manage trees which produce crops soon after the trees have been planted, and which crop well and give quick returns, have stimulated interest in high density orchards for plums.
The emphasis in the manuals is to:
■ Achieve a full and efficient tree canopy at an early tree age.
■ Sustain optimum fruit production over the projected life of the orchard.
■ Produce fruit of high quality.
■ Use equipment and labour efficiently.

The manual contains 48 pages of information, images and illustrations.
File size is 2Mb

List of topics

Why train and prune young trees?

• A young tree that is not pruned will become a shapeless tree.
• A shapeless tree does not fill its space in the orchard and we cannot maximize light interception and light distribution.
• Growing fruit means trapping (intercepting) as much sunlight as possible and converting it into a high quality product that we can sell.
• To shape a fruit tree and give it a good structure we must train and prune young trees.
• The best shapes to intercept and distribute sunlight are the Christmas tree‑type (Central Leader) and V‑type (Tatura Trellis).
• Any pruning during the early years is dwarfing, the trees cannot fill their space quickly and it delays fruiting.
• Trees that are trained well and pruned minimally, grow fast and come into production soon.
• Fruiting reduces tree growth. If we allow fruit trees to crop heavily too soon, the trees will be in full production before they have filled their allotted space.
• Training and pruning young trees allows us to regulate tree growth and fruitfulness so that we can maximize the production potential of an orchard.

List of topics in the manual

• Why train and when to prune
• Eight pruning cuts
• Maintain a balanced tree structure: the 3:1 rule
• Avoid forks
•  Keep trees open
• Spreading branches
• Keep the tips of branches up
• Control growth in the heads
• Keep leaders straight
• Different buds
• Renewal pruning: the 1,2,3 rule
• Importance of 1 and 2 year old wood
• Spur pruning
• Containment pruning
• Renovation pruning
• Root pruning