Phoenix Tropicals Gardening

[Dauntless]

I am getting ready to plant a small orchard area and I am considering using the intensive planting method illustrated on the Dave Wilson Nursery website.
You plant multiple trees of similar root stocks in a single expanded hole. I am looking at the 3 in one hole method where you plant the trees in a triangular pattern and then trim the inner branches off.
I have 2 concerns about this. One is that you are supposed to cut the tree off at about knee high and the other is that you do a lot of pruning in the summer. Pruning in the summer doesn't seem like a good idea here with our extreme heat and relentless sun.
Has anyone here done this or have knowledge of it being done here?

[mullenium]

That sounds interesting, if you find more info you gotta let us know.

my 2 mango trees are planted within 5 feet of each other, but in 2 separate planting holes

[Dauntless]

http://www.crfg.org/tidbits/backyardorchard.html

If you go to the link on the bottom of this page, it has some diagrams for examples.

[Dauntless]

This site has pictures and more info on how to prune etc.

http://www.davewilson.com/homegrown/BOC_explained.html

[phoenixtropicals]

I have two low chill pears planted in the same hole for over a year and so far so good. I also have some friends who have planted deciduous fruit trees very close and it is working well for them.

You are right not to prune the trees in summer. I pruned my peach tree this year after it fruited in late May and it really got hammered in June. Its still alive but even smaller than I intended it to be when I pruned it.

Chopping a tree knee high doesn't seem like that great of an idea. It seems that you would be too close to the rootstock and wouldn't be left with many buds. I wouldn't go any lower than waste high for sure.