Re: rootstock question

On Tue, 23 Oct 2007 07:46:29 -0400, Jim wrote:

enigma wrote:

i'm working on an order for fruit & nut trees for next spring
planting, mostly heirloom apples, quince, pears & hickory.
i have no particular experience with rootstocks & don't
remember much from my college classes in the early 70s (i was
mostly an animal sci major) & rootstocks have changed since
then anyway.
so, when the rootstock description says: "Bears fruit 3 to 4
years and grows to 15 to 18 feet.", does that mean the tree is
done for after 3-4 years or it takes that long to start
fruiting (i hope not because some rootstocks for pears say 12-
16 years) or what?

during the first 3 to 4 years the tree should grow
15 to 18 feet in height and should begin to bear
fruit sometime after 3 to 4 years of growing.

the life expectancy of trees is related to how many
city people show up.

More likely, it depends on the availability of labor to take care of the
apple trees and harvest the crop.
"Harvesting a thin worker crop"
http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=626570&category=REGION&newsdate=10/2/200
"This year there will be 3 billion -- with a 'B' -- apples harvested in
New York state and each and every one of them must be picked by a human
hand," said Peter Gregg, spokesman for the New York Apple Association. "No
local people want to do the work and immigrant labor wants to do it, even
enjoys it and returns year after year for the work."

Another factor is which apple varieties customers want. Given the
uncertainty of the labor supply, making the investment in replanting to a
popular variety often isn't the financially prudent thing for a grower to
do.

It's ironic that someone who grows a farm crop would complain about
cutting trees. The area where I live was originally white pine and hemlock
forest. After it was logged off in the 1800s, parcels were sold as farms.
The best soil was cleared of stumps and used for cultivated crops. The
next best (with a natural water supply) was used as pasture. What was left
was the wood lot, which mostly grew up to hardwoods.

So, while the farmers didn't cut the trees in the first place, they did
prevent the forest from regenerating ... which makes the land attractive
to developers in areas where the population is growing.

i can't see why i'd *want* a rootstock with a 3-4 year life
expectancy (unless i really hate the variety). any advice? this would
be for USDA zone 5, sandy loam soil, a bit on the acidic side. lee

.

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