A CONCEPT OF HIGH-DENSITY PLANTING FOR SWEET CHERRIES

Sweet cherry trees, cv. Bing, were planted in densities of 500, 571,666 and 1333 trees/ha, and trained as palmette (PA), central leader (CL), trellis (TR) and Earnscleugh canopy (EC), respectively. Various combinations of dormant and summer pruning, shoot bending and application of Promalin were used to train and control the canopies of the trees. The essential components of EC involved a heavy cutting back of newly planted trees. This brought about a double-branching effect, followed by limited summer pruning and application of Promalin. Five years after planting restriction of tree growth as expressed by cumulative trunk cross-sectional area (CTCSA) amounted to 86.8%, 71.9% and 67.5% of CTCSA of CL for PA, TR and EC, respectively. The trees produced first crop in the third leaf. The 3-year cumulative yields per hectare were 15.7, 14.8, 16.9 and 26.4 t for PA, CL, TR and EC, respectively.