Question

One-year-old tree of apple that has side-shoots on the main stem is also known as ____________.

• A. Feathered Maiden
• B. Whip
• C. Vertigo
• D. Monarch

Hint:

Remember the nursery terminology:
- Whip: No branches (looks like a simple stick).
- Feathered Maiden: Has lateral side-branches (feathers), which are highly prized for early fruiting in high-density orchards.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
In nursery management and pomology, young grafted or budded deciduous fruit trees are classified into different categories based on their age and growth pattern.
These terms help orchardists select the right planting material for establishing modern high-density orchards.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
When an apple scion is grafted onto a rootstock, it grows in the nursery during the first season.
- A Whip (B) is a one-year-old grafted tree that grows as a single, unbranched stem without any lateral branches (side-shoots).
- A Feathered Maiden (A) is a one-year-old grafted tree that has naturally produced several well-spaced lateral branches (called "feathers") along the main stem during its first year of growth in the nursery.
In modern high-density apple orchards, feathered maiden trees are highly preferred over whips.
This preference is because feathered trees already possess a developed canopy framework.
They come into commercial bearing much earlier (often in the second or third year after planting) compared to whips, which require intensive training and pruning to develop lateral branches post-planting.
Therefore, a one-year-old apple tree with side-shoots is called a feathered maiden.

Step 3: Final Answer:
The correct option is (A).