Maximising young trees – setting and achieving targets

June 2023 | Presented by Jonathan Brookes and Ulf Kerer, AgFirst | Future Orchards® Winter Orchard Walks

Maximising young-tree performance starts with setting clear targets for canopy development, crop timing and financial return. In this Future Orchards® presentation, AgFirst consultants Jonathan Brookes and Ulf Kerer outline a structured approach to establishing young apple blocks so that trees fill space quickly and move into profitable production without sacrificing long-term orchard architecture.

The presentation links young-tree growth directly to orchard economics. It encourages growers to define the height, branch structure and crop targets expected at each stage of establishment, then manage water, nutrition, pruning, training and crop load to achieve them. The emphasis is on actively measuring progress rather than accepting slow or uneven development as inevitable.

The material also addresses pruning strategy, planning for the following season’s crop and decisions around underperforming blocks. Where a block is failing to meet target canopy fill or return on investment, the presentation encourages growers to identify the constraint early and take corrective action rather than allowing poor performance to persist.