The Michigan study compared three systems—from left, central leader, vertical axe, and tall spindle. It costs a lot of money to put in a new apple orchard in Michigan, and it takes 9 to 12 years to recover all the expenses incurred up until then. High density systems cost more to establish but are, in the long run, more profitable. After the first year, you’ll have sunk $15,000 into building an acre of trees in a tall spindle orchard. But, after 20 years, you can expect to have accumulated $50,000 per acre in profit from it, more than twice the […]