Apple Mulcher
One Pass. Trellis Clear.
TMC Cancela orchard shredders mulch apple pruning between 3m trellis rows. Scab cycle broken. Floor clean.
- Shreds 10mm to 50mm pruning wood
- Fits 3m high-density trellis rows
- Breaks apple scab and codling cycle
- Returns 2–5t/ha organic matter
TMC CANCELA has more than 40 years of excellence and innovation
HIGH-DENSITY TRELLIS ORCHARDS
Why apple orchards need mulching
Apples grow across the Goulburn Valley, Batlow, Adelaide Hills, the Huon Valley, Stanthorpe, and Donnybrook.
Modern blocks run 1,000–3,500 trees per hectare on dwarfing rootstocks. Rows sit 3–4m apart. Annual pruning drops 2–5 tonnes of dry matter per hectare.
That waste blocks spray rigs, snags pickers, and harbours pathogens against the trunk line.
Modern blocks run 1,000–3,500 trees per hectare on dwarfing rootstocks. Rows sit 3–4m apart. Annual pruning drops 2–5 tonnes of dry matter per hectare.
That waste blocks spray rigs, snags pickers, and harbours pathogens against the trunk line.
Standard mulchers don't fit
Slashers and flail mowers are too wide. They clip trellis posts, damage drip lines, and miss the under-tree zone where most pruning waste lands. TMC Cancela shredders pass through 3m row spacing without contact. The TPS side-shift reaches under the trellis wire to process debris at the trunk line — where apple scab and codling moth concentrate.
Apple scab lives in the prunings
Apple scab (Venturia inaequalis) overwinters on fallen leaves and dead wood. Spring rain releases ascospores onto new growth before growers can spray.
Mulching destroys the structure scab needs to survive winter. Fine shredded material decomposes rapidly. Fewer overwintering sites = lower spore load at budburst.
Codling moth larvae pupate under bark and in dead wood. Shredding exposes them to predators, cold, and UV — population drops before the first spring flight.
Mulching destroys the structure scab needs to survive winter. Fine shredded material decomposes rapidly. Fewer overwintering sites = lower spore load at budburst.
Codling moth larvae pupate under bark and in dead wood. Shredding exposes them to predators, cold, and UV — population drops before the first spring flight.
Block renewal at end of life
Apple blocks last 15–25 years before yields decline and varieties go out of fashion. Removal means processing trunks at 100–200mm.
A TMC Cancela forestry mulcher handles whole-tree renovation — trunk, branches, root crown — in one pass. The mulched wood stays on the soil. Growers replant within 12 months without trucking timber off-site.
A TMC Cancela forestry mulcher handles whole-tree renovation — trunk, branches, root crown — in one pass. The mulched wood stays on the soil. Growers replant within 12 months without trucking timber off-site.
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Ben Stephen
Owner, Apple Mulcher Specialist
Ben Stephen is your go-to orchard and mulching expert, with 25+ years hands-on experience in agricultural machinery. As founder of Mulchtech Australia, the exclusive TMC CANCELA distributor, he matches tough Spanish-built mulchers and stone crushers to Australian conditions, from orchards and vineyards to stubble, forestry and rock. Ben understands how rocks can wreck gear and how the right machine, controls and setup can boost productivity, cut fuel use and keep you working.
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