•

6 minutes to install 2" pressure-treated wood support, pounded 2' deep by grower (slender
spindle).
2 minutes to install 1/2" electrical conduit, twisted 1' deep by grower (vertical axe).
20 sec for grower to install tree to post ties (slender spindleor vertical axe), or tree to wire
ties (tatura trellis or super spindle).
20 sec for grower to install twisted wire clips to attach tree supports to wire (vertical axe).
30 minutes/wire/row for each of two grower employees to install a 475' wire down row
(vertical axe, tatura trellis, super spindle).
6 minutes/endpost anchor to custom pound (vertical axe, tatura trellis, super spindle).
4 minutes/in-line post to custom pound (vertical axe, tatura trellis, super spindle).
3 minutes/screw anchor to custom screw them in (vertical axe, tatura trellis, super spindle).
15 minutes/cross brace to drill and bolt them to anchor post (tatura trellis).
Trees are installed with three people, a planter, and at 200 trees/hour.

•
•

•
•

•
•
•
•
•

Results
The cost breakdown is shown on Table 2.Some comments include:
•The least expensive system on a per acre basis is the vertical axe system because there are
relatively fewer trees planted per acre.
•The most expensive system on a per acre basis is the super spindlesystem because there are
so many trees per acre planted.
•The least expensive system on a per tree basis is the super spindlesystem because there are
so few posts, little wire to install and so many trees.
•The most expensive system on a per tree basis is the tatura trellissystem because there are so
many wires and posts to install and so few trees.

CONCLUSIONS
There are many considerations to take into account when deciding which dwarf fruit tree support
system to use in your orchard.All systems have their own advantages and disadvantages.
Attention to little details during construction will make any system last the life of the orchard.
Remember to include all costs, including your own, to get a true comparison between systems.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Special thanks to Bert van Dalfsen, P.Eng. from the British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture,
Food and Fisheries for his work on the publicationSupport Systems for High-Density Orchards
(British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, 1989).

Table 1.Comparison of the characteristics of 4 dwarf fruit tree systems in a 5-acre cost study.

Component

Slender Spindle

Vertical Axis

Tatura Trellis

Super Spindle

System characteristics
________________________________________________________________

Tree spacing

5'

6'

6'

2.5'

Row spacing

12'

14'

14'

11'

Number of rows

35

30

30

38

# Trees/row

91

74

74

174

# Total trees

3185

2220

2220

6612

# Tree/acre

637

444

444

1322

Wireheight

NA

8'

Top 8'; mid 6'; bot 3'

Top 8'; 6.5'; 5'; bot 3'

Table 3.Comparative total costs ($CAN) for labor and materials for 5-acre plantings of 4 dwarf
fruit tree support systems.

Component

Slender Spindle

Vertical Axis

Tatura Trellis

Super Spindle

Total materials

$30,161.95

$ 23,131.80

$ 25,187.40

$52,729.56

Total labor

$4,193.58

$3,081.33

$5,318.00

$5,976.13

Total cost (5 acres)

$34,355.53

$26,213.13

$ 30,505.40

$58,705.69

Materials/tree

$ 9.47

$10.42

$11.35

$7.97

Labor/tree

$1.32

$1.39

$2.40

$0.90

Total/tree

$10.79

$11.81

$13.74

$8.88

Total/acre

$6,871.11

$5,242.63

$6,101.08

$11,741.14