Winter visited Eastern Washington just in time to deliver a white Christmas to Superfresh Growers' farms, and in this transitionary period two experts have taken the time to explain the thought process and practices involved in changing orchard structures with a new trellis system.

In the video below,  chief horticulturalist Dave Gleason highlights how Superfresh Growers is transitioning from “dinosaur trees” to new trellis systems that are both cost and time efficient.

"When I was young, trees were huge old dinosaurs,” he explains.

"They were ginormous trees that might have limbs a foot in diameter. It could take 10-15 years to grow the tree to fill the space."

Pre-production manager Parker Sherrell then discusses the process of the new trellis system, which includes planting the poles first, before spring planting, which is reverse from what has been done in the past.

This new system allows for the Superfresh team to install a rigid and more intricate trellis system that will support a bi-ax growing system where “two primary leaders come from one root.”

This new trellis system is designed to support eight trees in a 32 foot space, which would previously host two large dinosaur trees.