Sweet cherry and Gisela rootstock pruning demonstration March 26-28 – a three location show
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EmailExperts from Michigan and Oregon will demonstrate techniques for training sweet cherries on dwarfing rootstock in a traveling road show in western Michigan.
A traveling sweet cherry and Gisela rootstock pruning demonstration will come to Michigan on March 26-28. The focus of these meetings will be on training techniques needed to build tree structure, maintain fruit size, and tree productivity for sweet cherries on the dwarfing Gisela rootstock. This demonstration will begin in southwestern Michigan at the Fruit Acres Farm in Coloma, Mich., on Monday, March 26, move up the coast to Grand Rapids, Mich., on the March 27, and end at northwest Michigan on March 28.
The demonstrations will feature Michigan State University’s own sweet cherry expert Dr. Greg Lang, and Oregon State University’s Mr. Lynn Long. Long is a sweet cherry specialist who conducts work in the Dalles of Oregon, the most concentrated cherry growing area in North America. Long has traveled the world's cherry-growing regions extensively and is known worldwide for his talks on sweet cherry varieties, pruning and training systems, and production experience, both processing and fresh market. These meetings are partially supported by Summit Sales. Warm clothes and waterproof boots are recommended.
Directions to the southwest Michigan region meeting, March 26
Monday, March 26, 2-4 p.m. at Fruit Acres Farms, Coloma, Mich. (view map). Take I-94 Exit 39 south 1 mile on Friday Road to NE corner of Friday Road and Carmody. The cherry block is just east of the corner on the north side of Carmody Road. Call Bill Shane 269-208-1652 (cell) for further details.
The cost of the southwest Michigan pruning demonstration is $10, payable at the meeting.
Directions to Sparta (northwest Grand Rapids) region meeting, March 27
Tuesday, March 27, 1-4 p.m. The meeting will start at Klenk Farms, 3888 10 Mile Rd., Sparta, Mich. (view map). The Klenk site is the first farm east of Fruit Ridge on the south side of 10 Mile Road. The meeting will then move to Joe Rasch Orchard, 9000 Kenowa Ave NW, Sparta, Mich. (view map). The site is on the east side of Kenowa Avenue, between 10 mile/Wilson and Harding, just north of Kent-Ottawa Storage.
The cost for the Sparta meeting is $10, payable at the meeting. Contact Amy Irish-Brown at 616-490-1079 for further details.
Directions to northwest Michigan pruning demonstration, March 28
Wednesday, March 28, gather at 8:30 a.m. at the Northwest Michigan Horticultural Research Center, 6686 S Center Highway, Traverse City, Mich. (view map). Growers can carpool from here to the first stop at Greg Williams’ orchard on Novak Road, Leelanau County, or drive directly to Williams’ orchard at 9:15 a.m. The focus at Williams is pruning vigorous second leaf sweet cherries on Gisela rootstock. At 10:30 a.m., the group will drive to Steve Bardenhagen's farm, Horn Road, Leelanau County, to prune different ages of sweet cherries on Gisela. At 11:15 a.m., the group will travel to the Northwest Michigan Horticultural Research Center on Center Highway, Leelanau County, to prune 3rd leaf sweet cherries. Lunch will be served at the station at 12:30 p.m.
The cost for the northwest Michigan pruning demonstration is $10 and lunch will be available for an additional $10. To RSVP for lunch and for further information, please call 231-946-150.
Dr. Lang’s work is funded in part by MSU’s AgBioResearch.
