RE: Apple-Crop: ROI on bringing back derelict portions of an orchard...
For commercial purposes, I think the advice to get new root stock is sound. I rehabbed a small orchard that had been out of production for a decade, has lots of Red Spy and old Macs and interesting heirlooms. But it has been a labor of love and essentially a hobby. My day job is as a doctor. Not promising to try to support yourself. However, the apples are wonderful. Regards, SRK Steven R. Kanner, MD Orchard Health Care _ From: apple-crop@virtualorchard.net [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of John Belisle Sent: Monday, November 10, 2008 12:10 PM To: Apple-Crop Subject: RE: Apple-Crop: ROI on bringing back derelict portions of an orchard... Mike, Mosbad is right on. Do not waste your time on old tree systems, old unmarketable varieties, and years of work for a high probability of failure. Life is just to short. John bellewoodapples.com _ From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: apple-crop@virtualorchard.net Subject: RE: Apple-Crop: ROI on bringing back derelict portions of an orchard... Date: Mon, 10 Nov 2008 09:04:46 -0600 Mike: My suggestion is not to waist your time and money on an orchard that has been ignored for that long, unless you are a researcher. I have seen a couple of orchards in Illinois that had the same situation where the owners tried for a couple of years to revive the trees, but they failed ... Several new varieties, rootstocks, and training systems have been developed in the last 10 to 15 years that may work better for you. Call Jon Clements or Wes Autio at U Mass and they will help you out.. Mosbah Kushad, University of Illinois From: apple-crop@virtualorchard.net [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Michael Meehan Sent: Sunday, November 09, 2008 11:15 AM To: Apple-Crop Subject: Apple-Crop: ROI on bringing back derelict portions of an orchard... Hi all. The orchard I work for brought back a section last year that had been untended and out of production for at least 10 years. I was wondering if anyone has done something similar in recent years, and had any data on the return on investment in the first/second year, fruit quality, extra steps taken, etc...? I am preparing all this data for my orchard, and was wondering if anyone had anything similar to compare it to. Thank you all for your consideration. Mike Meehan Sholan Farms Leominster, MA
RE: Apple-Crop: ROI on bringing back derelict portions of an orchard...
Mike, Mosbad is right on. Do not waste your time on old tree systems, old unmarketable varieties, and years of work for a high probability of failure. Life is just to short. John bellewoodapples.com From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: apple-crop@virtualorchard.net Subject: RE: Apple-Crop: ROI on bringing back derelict portions of an orchard... Date: Mon, 10 Nov 2008 09:04:46 -0600 Mike: My suggestion is not to waist your time and money on an orchard that has been ignored for that long, unless you are a researcher. I have seen a couple of orchards in Illinois that had the same situation where the owners tried for a couple of years to revive the trees, but they failed ... Several new varieties, rootstocks, and training systems have been developed in the last 10 to 15 years that may work better for you. Call Jon Clements or Wes Autio at U Mass and they will help you out.. Mosbah Kushad, University of Illinois From: apple-crop@virtualorchard.net [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Michael Meehan Sent: Sunday, November 09, 2008 11:15 AM To: Apple-Crop Subject: Apple-Crop: ROI on bringing back derelict portions of an orchard... Hi all. The orchard I work for brought back a section last year that had been untended and out of production for at least 10 years. I was wondering if anyone has done something similar in recent years, and had any data on the return on investment in the first/second year, fruit quality, extra steps taken, etc...? I am preparing all this data for my orchard, and was wondering if anyone had anything similar to compare it to. Thank you all for your consideration. Mike Meehan Sholan Farms Leominster, MA
RE: Apple-Crop: ROI on bringing back derelict portions of an orchard...
We have ten 100 year plus Macs that weren't tended to for eight years. They aren't going anywhere since they are considered a historical site. Just getting the height down to where an airblast sprayer could reach them involved a chainsaw on a 18 foot ladder making ten inch cuts. About 16 man hours per tree. Never again... Bill Fleming Montana State University Western Ag Research Center Corvallis, MT 59828 From: apple-crop@virtualorchard.net [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Matt McCallum Sent: Monday, November 10, 2008 12:34 PM To: Apple-Crop Subject: Re: Apple-Crop: ROI on bringing back derelict portions of an orchard... I also tried it once and would never do it again. The old varieties just do not hold a candle to the new ones and you will spend more money on labor bringing it back than you'd spend on new trees. We also found out that we had a resistant strain of apple scab in the orchard and could never get very good control. Matt McCallum On Nov 10, 2008, at 10:04 AM, Mosbah Kushad wrote: Mike: My suggestion is not to waist your time and money on an orchard that has been ignored for that long, unless you are a researcher. I have seen a couple of orchards in Illinois that had the same situation where the owners tried for a couple of years to revive the trees, but they failed .. Several new varieties, rootstocks, and training systems have been developed in the last 10 to 15 years that may work better for you. Call Jon Clements or Wes Autio at U Mass and they will help you out.. Mosbah Kushad, University of Illinois From: apple-crop@virtualorchard.net [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Michael Meehan Sent: Sunday, November 09, 2008 11:15 AM To: Apple-Crop Subject: Apple-Crop: ROI on bringing back derelict portions of an orchard... Hi all. The orchard I work for brought back a section last year that had been untended and out of production for at least 10 years. I was wondering if anyone has done something similar in recent years, and had any data on the return on investment in the first/second year, fruit quality, extra steps taken, etc...? I am preparing all this data for my orchard, and was wondering if anyone had anything similar to compare it to. Thank you all for your consideration. Mike Meehan Sholan Farms Leominster, MA
