Apricot Mulcher
One Pass. Block Reset.
TMC Cancela mulchers handle annual pruning AND end-of-life removal. Brown rot stopped. Replant ready.
- Shreds 10mm to 60mm pruning wood
- Breaks brown rot and shot hole cycle
- Mulches whole-tree removal at 15–20 years
- Adds organic matter to depleted soils
TMC CANCELA has more than 40 years of excellence and innovation
SHORT ORCHARD LIFECYCLE
Why apricot orchards need mulching
Apricots grow in the Riverland, Sunraysia, and the Goulburn Valley. Trees produce well for 15–20 years — the shortest commercial life of any major Australian tree crop.
Annual pruning drops 10–60mm wood every winter. Renovation cuts add 50–80mm material.
Removal happens on a rolling cycle. A 100ha staggered operation pulls 5–7ha of whole trees every year — trunks at 100–200mm.
Annual pruning drops 10–60mm wood every winter. Renovation cuts add 50–80mm material.
Removal happens on a rolling cycle. A 100ha staggered operation pulls 5–7ha of whole trees every year — trunks at 100–200mm.
Apricots are extremely susceptible to brown rot
Brown rot (Monilinia laxa) is the most destructive disease in Australian apricot production. Apricots are more susceptible than any other stone fruit. A wet spring can wipe a crop. The fungus overwinters on mummified fruit and dead pruning wood. Mulching the debris removes the overwintering structure. Fine shredded material breaks down before bloom — fewer spores at flowering.
Removal as a routine operation
Most tree crops treat removal as a rare event. Apricots are different. The 15–20 year life means every grower faces removal on a regular cycle.
Manual clearing — chainsaw, loader, truck — costs thousands per hectare and takes days. A TMC Cancela forestry mulcher (TMH) processes whole trees to ground-level residue in one pass. No cutting. No stacking. No cartage.
Owning or contracting a forestry mulcher becomes a standard line item — not an emergency expense.
Manual clearing — chainsaw, loader, truck — costs thousands per hectare and takes days. A TMC Cancela forestry mulcher (TMH) processes whole trees to ground-level residue in one pass. No cutting. No stacking. No cartage.
Owning or contracting a forestry mulcher becomes a standard line item — not an emergency expense.
Replant on the same soil
15–20 years of continuous cropping depletes apricot soils. Mulched residue from one removed block adds measurable carbon back before the next planting goes in.
Ground-level residue means growers can rip, fumigate, and replant within the same season. The block resets without the cost of trucking timber off-site.
Ground-level residue means growers can rip, fumigate, and replant within the same season. The block resets without the cost of trucking timber off-site.
Speak to a Specialist: Book a Call with Ben
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Ben Stephen
Owner, Apricot 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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