Fruit trees have much to offer in terms of beauty, from early spring blossoms and the buzzing of bees, to summer fruits that start to blush as they ripen, to the bounty of autumn when the branches are laden with fragrant fruit, to the quiet winter time when the naked branches, studded with buds, show promise of a fruitful season ahead. The fruit trees in your orchard will act as the main characters in the space you create. For your trees to thrive and become long-lived, productive, and healthy, we must set them up for success from the start.
Fruit trees do best in a sunny location that is somewhat protected from heavy winds. If your sunshine is limited aim for at least 4 hours a day for apples and pears, at least 6 hours a day for plums and cherries, and more for peaches, nectarines, and apricots. Because some fruit trees are subject to fungal diseases, it is best to have good airflow between plants so that moisture is wicked away from the leaves and branches.
On the West coast (West of the Cascades) peaches and nectarines can only be grown successfully under the cover of a roofline. We recommend placing them right up against a sunny south-facing wall where the overhanging eaves will keep the rain off the plants. To prevent the plants from growing outward, trellis them against the building tying the branches in place. Our 5-year-old peach and nectarine trees produce 50-60 pounds of fruit each year when grown this way. Plants grown in the open will suffer from peach leaf curl which stunts the plant's growth and distorts the fruit and leaves, often killing the plant over time.
If your site is in a wet or poorly drained spot, it is important to first improve the drainage before planting trees. You will know it is poorly drained if water pools and lingers in the low spots. Subsurface drainage with a French drain or BigO is the best option for drawing the water away. A second option is mounding the planting areas up several feet above the wet and lower ground to eliminate roots standing in pooled water.
Fruit trees do best in fertile and loamy soil. You can do a manual test on your soil by taking up a handful and squeezing it in your hand. It should not squeeze out water but it should feel moist to the touch. When you release the pressure the soil should retain the shape of your closed fist. If it falls apart easily, it is too sandy and if it is hard to break back into its former shape it may be too clayey. Either problem is easy to repair with the addition of composted bark and wood chips. As the wood chips break down they loosen up clay soils and add structure to sandy ones. The incorporation of woody material into the soil is similar to the natural process of decaying logs in a forest which feeds the soil life on the forest floor. Your soil should smell mild and slightly sweet if you are getting a whiff of sulfur or a sour smell, your drainage is likely inadequate.
In our experience trees do best with a carpet of living plants around their base. A carpet of plants is beneficial in capturing sunlight and keeping the soil cool while their roots feed the soil food web. Ground-covering plants provide habitat for predatory beetles which aid with pest control of overwintering pest insects. Effective ground covers could consist of clover, strawberries, grasses, or different herbs. The choice of plants you use will depend on the final appearance that you wish to obtain.
Trees that are grown on dwarf rootstock have little vigour and the roots are generally small. It is best to stake these dwarfs for the lifetime of the plant to prevent them from falling over with the weight of the fruit or heavy winds. More vigorous semi-dwarfs and standard trees require staking for the first year or two as they establish their root system and afterward they will be fine without staking. A sunny location and optimal soil will set your plants off to a great start and a long and healthy life. But this won’t guarantee that the plants are very productive. Heavy yields are stimulated by correct pruning methods and proper training which I plan to cover in an upcoming post…
