using hoops that arc over the alley between rows, and very densely planted.


He bought rootstock


and started the trees himself, planting whips two years ago that were seven to eight feet in length, at an angle, alternating side to side so there’s good ventilation and light to all the fruit. Using the hoops nearly doubled


production, he figures. Gill is considering design of a cover system to improve control of


environmental factors such as the effects of direct sun.


JUDIE STEEVES


Trees in the Gill apple orchard are trained in a V shape with hoops used to trellis them.


covers that incorporate bird netting to go over each row.


Summer rain storms in the Similkameen tend to be short, so he’s hopeful the covers would shed the rain and protect fruit from splitting, while the netting would reduce the amount of bird damage.


Although, he says, with the amount of production he expects from the newly-replanted acreage, he could probably share a portion of the crop with the birds.


Posts are nine feet in height, but he figures he can let the trees grow to be as much as 12 feet tall. New plantings must incorporate steel posts instead of treated wooden posts, for them to be able to maintain organic status. In addition to cherries, they grow 23 acres of apples, including eight acres of Ambrosias planted in 1996 by the Mennells, which are still producing well, trained in super spindle plantings.


There are seven acres of Royal Gala, along with some Macs and early Sunrise, and some peaches and pears. When replanting some of the older apples, he looked to a different shape of orchard as well, planting several acres to a V-shaped trellis system


British Columbia FRUIT GROWER • Fall 2016 9


He’d like to try the V-shaped trellis system with an acre of cherries as well and see if it works better than the UFO trellis system.


“We have to be more technical these days to cover our costs,” he explains. He’s hoping to achieve harvests of 20 bins per acre with this system for growing apples.


“It’s a challenge to try something new, but someone has to try it,” he comments, adding, “It would be nice to get a bit of support from the government. Start-up is really expensive and more time and training is needed,” he explains. “It’s a big investment.”


Gill met opposition from the replant program panel when he applied for assistance, but said he ultimately convinced them that higher production would result from the trellised plantings.


Just tying the cherries in the first years costs $1,000 to $1,500 an acre per season, he estimates. However, he’s confident higher production from the trellising systems will make the increased initial costs worthwhile and says he’s already seeing the difference, even in the early years.


“I’m happy with the production now they’re on their way,” he comments.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20