Keeping apple and pear trees in a spindle form
The spindle shape can be compared to a Christmas tree. The tree has a vertical conductor tied to a stake or horizontal wires. Small boughs are placed horizontally around the guide. The lower limbs are longer, upper shorter. The tree has a conical shape. The number of branches and their arrangement on the guide is arbitrary. The height of the tree never exceeds 2,5 m.
The spindle form was developed for dwarf apple and pear trees, which must have a guide tied to a support, otherwise a tree of weak construction will not grow to the required height. The spindle form can be recommended for dwarf apple trees grafted on M rootstocks 26, P 2, P 22, M 9, on stunted inserts B. 9, P 2 and P 22 and for pears grafted on quince C..
The cheapest supports are thin stakes, length up to 2 m, hammered in at each tree only for the period of crown formation. You can tie a guide to them and lead him to the desired height. They don't last long in the orchard. They can be recommended for apple trees grafted on stunted inserts, especially for these varieties, which have strong and stiff branches like Starking, Lobo, Mclntosh, Spartan.
Durable stakes made of hard and impregnated wood can survive in the orchard for approx 20 lat. They can be made of oak logs, hornbeam and acacia trees. The diameter of the stakes should be 6-10 cm, length 2 - 2.5 m. Less durable, but pine stakes are easy to get. If they are impregnated, they can at least stand in orchard 10 lat. For impregnation, place the barked and dry stakes into a barrel filled with Xylamit and soak it through