Choosing the Right Cherry Training System: Spindle vs. Bush

Both the Vogel Spindle and Spanish Bush systems will allow for the development of a “pedestrian orchard”. A pedestrian orchard is defined as an orchard where two-thirds of the crop can be harvested from the ground, without the use of tall ladders (Fig. 1). Harvesting fruit from the ground greatly enhances worker productivity. In a study that I conducted in The Dalles, Oregon pickers were able to harvest 100 pounds (45 kg.) per hour when picking fruit in traditional orchards off of tall ladders. Productivity, however, increased to 171 pounds (77.5 kg.) per hour in pedestrian orchards allowing pickers to make more money and growers to harvest their crop with fewer pickers. As labor shortages become more acute, growers with pedestrian orchards will find orchard workers more readily than their neighbors with large trees. In addition, injuries are significantly reduced as tall ladders are eliminated from the orchard.