Cider is the fastest growing beverage in the country right now. It's selling very well. I'm going to have to look for some in the store.

That sounds like a great day. I have not heard of Geneva 18. Were their trees supported?

I may have the number wrong, or be otherwise confused; I know that it is a very new release and that they considered themselves lucky to get it.

The trees are planted in long rows and trained to two wires at perhaps 3 feet and ten feet, are spaced 3 feet apart in the rows with rows 14 feet apart. They were commenting that they wish they'd spaced them at 2 feet and 12 feet respectively.

Apparently they expect a decent crop the second year. The central leader fruits and there are a few scaffold branches at the three foot level; these are removed when they reach 1/2 the size of the central leader, which is currently about 2" at that point, if that. Neither the leader nor the scaffolds are headed back, but are kept to the appropriate length by cutting back to a weaker, replacement branch. The scaffolds attach at right angles and are encouraged slightly downward. All the fruiting takes place on the CL and directly on the scaffolds; no "fingers" are encouraged. A few weaker branches along the CL are permitted but these are not allowed to become large.

I might well have some of the details wrong here, but overall it's about like I'm telling it, I think. Oh, and in addition to the 2300 trees already in they are planting another 200 in April, so they'll have their hands full.

Check this out http://www.goodfruit.com/the-hard-trials-of-growing-cider-apples/

Mark,

Nice I am getting one of the Geneva (forget which one) rootstocks to use on my 6' trellis but i will need to space them out a bit more. 2500 trees dose not cover allot of land when they are spaced 2-3 apart. I wonder how long it will take them to recover their investment ? Email me if you want to trade scion.

thanks for posting the link Bill. I am working on propagating cider apples for someone making small batch cider. It sounds like cider apples get a better than average wholesale return. Those operations are light years ahead of me. I wish a had the skill set and resources to plant a massive high density cider orchard.