growers

1. Site selection
A sandy loam and loam soil is most suitable. Soils with impermeable layers or salinity problems must be avoided. A pH of 6-7 is ideal. Multi-row windbreaks should be placed on west and northern edges of the orchards. And the orchards should have access to water supply.
2. Prepare soil before planing.
It is good to begin a year before planting. Planting green manure crops in the spring, and deep plow in the summer. This will help control weeds and increase the fertility of the siol. Adjust pH to 6.0-6.5 if possible.
3. Planting Guideline
Planting of bare root plants is best done in early spring with fully dormant plant. Presoak the roots in water overnight. plants already budding are best planted in the evening or under cloudy condition.
For potted plants, remember separate or cut 'root bound', otherwise the roots will continue to grow in a circular pattern and eventually choke out.
Dig holes wide enough to accommodate all of the root system.
Cut off broken root part, set the plants with the graft union 2 inches above the ground line.
Work the soil in and around the roots.
When the hole is half full, pack the soil firmly. Fill the hole and firm the soil
Water thoroughly to soak the soil around the tree roots.

Cultivars and rootstock

Cutivars
The popular varieties at present are Norland and Brookland in SK. The following the information about some of the hardy varieties.
1. Early season varieties
1.1 Heyer 12
Fruit size 5-6 cm, round, yellowish green;
Mature around mid-August;
Not good for storage;
Good for canning;
Extremely hardy.
1.2 Norland
Upright spreading;
Fruit size 6-7 cm; greenish-yellow skin.
Mature around mid-August;
Good for fresh-eating and cooking;
Hardy in zones 2b and 3.
1.3 Westland
Weak branching, fruit size 7-8 cm.
Greenish-yellow skin with red stripes;
Good for cooking and fair for eating fresh;
Hardy in all zones except zone a1.
2. Mid-season varieties
2.1 Parkland
Compact and upright spreading tree, fruit size 6-7 cm.
Mature in late August and early September.
Good for fresh eating and cooking, hardy to zone 2a.
2.2. Sunnybrook
The tree is upright with a round top.
Fruit size 6.5 cm, flesh has a coarse texture.
Food for cooking and fresh eating, short storage.
Hardy to zone 2a.
2.3. Battleford
Tree round and upright. Fruit is 7 cm in diameter, greenish-yellow skin mottled with red.
Mature early to mid September, fair for eating and cooking, short storage.
Susceptible to fireblight and bud moths;
Hardy in zones 2b and 3.
2.4 SK Prairie Sun
SK Prairie Sun is a multi-purpose apple cultivar that ripens the first week in September. The fruit is slightly oblate in shape and the colour is yellowish cream with a pink blush. The flesh is fine textured, crisp, juicy, moderately sweet and resistant to oxidation browning. The core is small and closed. The fruit is good for fresh eating and makes excellent processed products. The fruit will size-up to 3" under good cultural conditions and after fruit thinning. The storage life is comparable to Norland. Yield potential appears to be very good. The tree is semi-spur, semi-dwarf, very hardy and easily grown. Harvest season begins late August/early September.
Rootstock
The good choice of rootstock in SK are Ottawa-3 and Buds-9.

Grass cover

Grass cover between rows serves to reduce mud, and to compete with trees for moisture at the end of the growing season. In dry areas it is best to maintain grass-free alleys between rows. Similarly, establihing trees should be kept grass and weed free. In areas with adequate moisture, grass can be used to fill in below established trees.

Windbreaks

Protection from the west and north wind is highly recommended for any prairie orchard. Winter damage is often a funtion of desicaion caused by direct exposure to prevailing winds.

Pruning (adopted from S.H. Nelson and C. C. Peters )

1.Cutting types
1.1. Removal cut: the cut is made to remove an entire twig, branch or limb at base. (fig 1a )
1.2 Heading cut: the cut is made between two nodes on a twig, branch or limb. ( fig 1b )
2. Pruning time
2.1 Late winter.
2.2 Early spring.
2.3 Any time for removal of diseased, damaged, dead branch.

3 Pruning functions

3.1 Remove diseased, damaged or dead branch.
3.2 Improve light penetration and ventilation.
3.3 Keep tree in good shape and proper size.
3.4 Reduce superfalous flower buds to get bigger apples.
3.5 Produce more flower buds.

4. Pruning guidelines
Pruning at Planting time
Cut the leader to a height of 2-3 feet (heading back). Removal of weak laterals. ( see fig-1)

fig-1

Pruning in year two
Choose three or four wide-angled branches well spaced around the tree and at least 15 cm apart. Reduce their length at least by a third to an outward-facing bud. Remove any narrow-angled branches adjacent to the leader and other branches not needed. Finally reduce the length of the leader by one third as in year one. (see fig-2)
fig-2

Pruning in year three
Remove any upright branches on the oldest laterals and shorten the latest growth on the laterals by at least a third to outward-facing buds. Also remove some of the secondary branches competing for thte same space. Select three new laterals from the previous season's growth which are wide angled, and reduce their lenghth by a third to outward-facing buds. Shortne the leader by one-third, and remove all water sprouts and suckers. (see fig-3)
fig-3

Pruning in later year (after year four)
Remove all diseased and broken branches.
Remove crossing branches which can rub against each other and eventually cause bark damage.
Remove water sprouts growing up in the center of the tree.
If there is a dense growth of limbs growing into the center of the tree, remove some of these to allow more light penetration.

Cider processing

Basic procedures
1. Selecting and blending apples
Select mature apples or nearly mature apples.
-The overly mature gives lower yields and flatter favour.
-The immature has less aroma and sugar, and higher starch, acids and astringent flavour.
Blending different cultivars together.
-Some cultivar may be sweeter, others may have more acids.
-blending according taste preference.
2. Sorting , trimming and washing .
Remove and trim partially decayed apples, discard rotten apples.
Wash apples ( a drum washer can be used ).
Rinse with fresh cold water.
Remember that excess water should be drip from the apples before being chopped.
3. Pressing aids
Chop apples using chopping equipment.
Pressing chopped apples to extract cider.
4. Screening/filtering
Make juice pass through 80-to-150-mdsh cloth, to get rid of undesirable particles of pulp.
Collect juice with container ( tray or bottles )
5. Chilling and cold storage
Unpasteurized should be chilled as quickly as possible ( to 0-4⁰C).
Then cold storage.

Pollination

Apple trees are self-incompatible and different cultivare need to planted for successful pollination. Bees help pollination and improve fruit set.

Irrigation

During the first three years watering is important to tree establishment. Mist irrigation can be used to reduce from injury in the spring. Where irrigation is provided, it should be decontinued in fall to encourage dormancy development.

Market

Apples are the number one fruits in term of consumption. The future marketing trend is moving taward organic products. Because the cold winter and hot summer in Saskatchewan, we are at good position for producing fruit without using pestsides.

Insects control for apples

( adopted from ‘Manitoba Agriculture &Food Fruit Guide)

Insect name Insecticides Apply rate Comments Days to harvest

Aphids Cygon 1ml / L water Apply when insect first appear 14

Diazinon 500E 750ml /L water Spray thoroughly

Apple maggot Diazinon 500E 1 ml / L water 14

Lagon 480E 1 ml / L water Apple when adult flies appear

Fruit tree leafroller Confirm 240F 405 ml / acre Apply at egg hatch 14

Mites Cygon 1ml / L water Apply when mites first appear 14

Some Apple diseases

Name Symptoms Disease cycle Disease management

Apple scab ( rare in SK )
(Fungus)
Venturia inaequalis
On leave: olive grean areas undersides of leaves. Older lesions, olive-green or brown circlar spots with definite outline.
On fruit: rough-surfaced olive-green spots
Overwinters in infected leaves. Production spores in spring. Rain and wind help the spores spread. wet condition favour development of the disease. Fungicides: protectant or eradicant

Black rot of apple
(Fungus)
Botryosphaeria obtusa
On leaves: first sign is purple spots on upper side; with enlarged spots, leaf margins remain purple, while centers turn brown, tan or yellowish.
Slightly sunken cankers may form on branches.
Fruit rot usually one spot, may form concentric bands of brown to black.
Overwinters in fruiting bodies on dead bark, twigs and mummified fruit. Invading any dead tissue. Pycnidia and perithecia release conidia and ascospores. Disseminated by splashing rains, wind, and insects. Infect leaves, calyxes, tiny fruits, and wound in twigs and limbs. Timing of chemical treatment; pruning and disposal of dead wood; pruning and remove cankers at least 15 inches below the basal end.

Fire blight
(bateria)
On leaves: scorched appearance with reddish brown or black colour.
Blossom: watersoaked than turn dark brown.
Bark: sunken and darkened discoloration.
Overwinter on woody tissue, spread by rain, insect, spruning tools. Remove diseased canker in dormant season; avoid use excess nitrogen, pruning out infected shoots;
Control insects.

Acknowledgements:
I am grateful to Gloria who first taught us how to make webpage.
Advice from Honggang Wu is also greatly appreciated.

Reference:
Fruit Guide. Manitoba Agriculture & Food 2000.

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Insect name	Insecticides	Apply rate	Comments	Days to harvest
Aphids	Cygon	1ml / L water	Apply when insect first appear	14
Aphids	Diazinon 500E	750ml /L water	Spray thoroughly	14
Apple maggot	Diazinon 500E	1 ml / L water		14
Apple maggot	Lagon 480E	1 ml / L water	Apple when adult flies appear	14
Fruit tree leafroller	Confirm 240F	405 ml / acre	Apply at egg hatch	14
Mites	Cygon	1ml / L water	Apply when mites first appear	14

Name	Symptoms	Disease cycle	Disease management
Apple scab ( rare in SK ) (Fungus) Venturia inaequalis	On leave: olive grean areas undersides of leaves. Older lesions, olive-green or brown circlar spots with definite outline. On fruit: rough-surfaced olive-green spots	Overwinters in infected leaves. Production spores in spring. Rain and wind help the spores spread. wet condition favour development of the disease.	Fungicides: protectant or eradicant
Black rot of apple (Fungus) Botryosphaeria obtusa	On leaves: first sign is purple spots on upper side; with enlarged spots, leaf margins remain purple, while centers turn brown, tan or yellowish. Slightly sunken cankers may form on branches. Fruit rot usually one spot, may form concentric bands of brown to black.	Overwinters in fruiting bodies on dead bark, twigs and mummified fruit. Invading any dead tissue. Pycnidia and perithecia release conidia and ascospores. Disseminated by splashing rains, wind, and insects. Infect leaves, calyxes, tiny fruits, and wound in twigs and limbs.	Timing of chemical treatment; pruning and disposal of dead wood; pruning and remove cankers at least 15 inches below the basal end.
Fire blight (bateria)	On leaves: scorched appearance with reddish brown or black colour. Blossom: watersoaked than turn dark brown. Bark: sunken and darkened discoloration.	Overwinter on woody tissue, spread by rain, insect, spruning tools.	Remove diseased canker in dormant season; avoid use excess nitrogen, pruning out infected shoots; Control insects.