Thanks for the input! Your climate is very similar to mine the way it sounds. I’ve found some of your old posts. How many years does it take for the renewal trunk to start producing? Are you still laying them down every winter? After your comments on Somerset I might have to plant a couple of them. They sound like a winner here.
Think of the renewal trunk like a big cane. It shoots off from the trunk, usually attempting to form fruit at the base then grows 8-12’ the first year. Then you just trim it back to the length you want in spring of year two and it will flower all along and you just pinch off where you don’t want fruit/canes (Eg lower trunk). You loose NO time because in the 2nd year when that trunk starts fruiting you prune out the old trunk you are replacing.
This helps reduce disease pressure as well because you are removing old wood where eggs and bugs are finding cracks/crevices to overwinter.
At the start I have been laying down canes, particularly tender varieties. Still got die back in areas where the canes ended up in standing water and freezing/thawing in water was worse than being exposed. Now I figure life is too short so I am just sticking with proven hardy varieties and leaving the stupid things up on the trellis. Particularly with how good bluebell and Somerset is I don’t mind not having Reliance or Vanessa.
I still play with zone pushing on the odd chance something works but 6-7 years into this project I’m now getting fruit ramping up and figuring out what works and what fits my taste and will remove the rest.
I’m behind on my write ups but will post 2018 and 2019 later this year (I hope).
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