Recycle those Cothespins!

Clothespins are one of the most valuable young apple tree training tools. They are useful in the orchard's first and second leaf for positioning developing scaffold branches so that the angle of the branch in relation to the central leader (trunk) is as close to 90 degrees as possible (above left). In fact, this is probably the single most important (and simplest!) tree training technique you can use in the life of your orchard!

Clothespins should be removed later in the growing season once the branch angle has been established -- it only takes a few weeks for young, succulent apple shot tissue to retain it's position. But don't just throw those clothespins back in the bucket! Reuse them on young shoots that perhaps need a little help in maintaining as close to a horizontal positions as possible. (My rule of thumb is that no scaffold or secondary branch originating from the leader should assume an angle greater than 45 degrees from horizontal.) Simply hang one or two (or three!) near the end of young rapidly growing shoots and they will bring the young branch into a more horizontal position over time (above right). It might be assumed they also simulate fruit on the young tree and perhaps control vigor and bring the tree into earlier bearing. Of course the clothespins should be removed once the branch diameter becomes constricted by the clothespin jaws.