Planting an orchard - what to do to improve the soil?

[Bikewanderer]

I am planning to start a fruit orchard, a medium sized one. It will be four rows, longest one about 150' and the shortest about 40'. This is for personal use, we intend to plant a few of about a dozen kinds of trees including apple, pear, apricot, cherry, etc. Most will be different variety of apple trees to get different mature dates. The total will be around 30 - 35 trees.

So, my soil consists of about 2' of topsoil with medium clay underneath it and hard packed clay at about 6'. I was considering taking a backhoe and removing about a 3' width in all the rows and filling with a topsoil/compost mix then filling back to grade and planting, then mulching the rows with grass in between. Rows are 16' on center, and my brush how is 10' wide, so I should be able to run right down the rows with it.

I am considering drip irrigation on a timer for water.

ANy feedback?

 

[dave1949]

If you are pulling a 10' bush hog, then your tractor is probably around 7' wide? (16-7)/2 = 4.5 feet from wheel to tree on each side. Is that going to be enough?

I think orchards are often planted on a grid to allow mowing in both directions.

 

[Bikewanderer]

I plan to maintain windrows of mulch with the trees to eliminate cross mowing.

http://heinzorchard.com/yahoo_site_admin/assets/images/IMG_1299.245142844_std.jpg

Like that one.

Is 4.5 feet enough? I could make the rows wider.

 

[SPIKER]

I think you may be "Over Thinking" it. The trees should grow pretty good in your 2 feet of soil and clay underneath. You CAN if you wanted to drill (post hole digger) some holes thru the clay layer and fill with some sandy loam soil under the trees so the clay does not hold excess moisture on the roots. My place has 10~12" top soil 2' of clay and a layer of gravel 6~8" then clay & rubble and sandstone bedrock.

I planted a good number of fruit trees at my place and did so on a diagonal checker board pattern. You need to have them planted wide enough so you can mow up and down AFTER they are grown. I mow north south and east west getting each tree boxed. I generally mow north south one week and east west the next as going both ways at same time is not really needed. higher grass keep the dirt from drying out as fast. Also the primary wind (west or north west winds) should have a wind break effect to keep moisture in the trees. (Dont let wind blow DOWN the ROWS) unless you have too much moisture or low laying area that holds water.

Next tip, make sure you get only non grafted saplings. Grafted ones are OK but you will loose more to transplant and long term life is not all that good. I DID plant grafted stock as price at time was my biggest concern thinking back now it was a poor choice and have had some die off & some fatalities and non production issues. make sure to know where they were grown and what stock graft it has if possible a good nursery will know.

Not sure what you water needs will be as that is specific to location.

Mark

 

[dave1949]

Fruit trees in bloom are always easy to look at.

4.5 feet sounds tight to me, but I'm not an orchardist. Depending on the varieties, (dwarf, semi-dwarf, standard) you plan on using, there must be some guidelines on spacing.

If the track in the picture is 5 or 6 feet wide, then the rows are over 16' wide. Those trees look about the size of a semi-dwarf apple to me.

 

[Dingeryote]

Awfull shallow topsoil. Make sure to allow for drainage, considering the hard pack. Fruit trees don't like wet feet.

If you can, before you plant, get some organic matter worked into the clay/topsoil down a foot or so, in a band equal to the width of the dripline when the trees are mature. It beats Vertical mulching later.

Your trenching idea sounds good, but keep an eyeball on the Ph, as when things stabilize they often drop like a rock, rather than taper down.

Now would be a good time to make long term ammendments for soil Ph, to save on annual adjustments later. Sulphur ain't cheap to keep putting on every year. Your state Dept of Ag extension, or local Ag chem supply shop should be able to help all around.

We always had sandy Loam or low organic sand, when we were in the tree fruits, and I'm not up to speed on dealing with all that clay.

Water wise, 18mm 1-12" emitter buried dripline is the bomb, as it can be coiled 2-3 loops around the dripline inward, and still deliver more than enough during drought years. Just need 15psi at the emitters. Make sure to trench it in below tiller depth.

We went through half a dozen different controllers untill the local Orchard supply suggested running a plain old Rain bird four zone programmable.
As long as you are running a constant pressure well, the zone valve actuation is all that is required. Best part is the easy programming.
Double filters on the hoop, post pressure tank if your water is heavy on minerals, or run a 140 mesh and learn to swap and clean every week.

Make sure to add a Maezi injector as well. They save a lot of time and effort. Fertilization, chemigation, and running hydrochloric acid now and then to flush the driplines is a LOT easier with the injector. Best part is that they are cheap at around 150 bucks and can be figured into the filter hoop design real easy.

Good luck to ya, and make sure to post pics of the project as it progresses.

 

[flusher]

I am planning to start a fruit orchard, a medium sized one. It will be four rows, longest one about 150' and the shortest about 40'. This is for personal use, we intend to plant a few of about a dozen kinds of trees including apple, pear, apricot, cherry, etc. Most will be different variety of apple trees to get different mature dates. The total will be around 30 - 35 trees.

So, my soil consists of about 2' of topsoil with medium clay underneath it and hard packed clay at about 6'. I was considering taking a backhoe and removing about a 3' width in all the rows and filling with a topsoil/compost mix then filling back to grade and planting, then mulching the rows with grass in between. Rows are 16' on center, and my brush how is 10' wide, so I should be able to run right down the rows with it.

I am considering drip irrigation on a timer for water.

ANy feedback?

Around here in the North Sacramento Valley it's orchard country (olives, almonds, walnuts, pistachios, mandarin oranges, prune plums). My neighbor just put in about 8 acres of English walnut trees (grafted plants--CA black walnut root stock with English walnut scion). We have thin top soil (6-12 inches) and hardpan below. He ripped the soil parallel to the fence lines and also on the diagonals using a D8 CAT and dual shank ripper down to about 36". Then he ran the disc over the surface, fertilized, installed driplines and planted the saplings. He uses water from the local irrigation district (water comes from Shasta Lake via the Sacramento River and is pumped into the canals at the diversion dam on the river located south of Red Bluff, CA -- it's part of the Great Central Valley irrigation system).

This is the typical procedure around here. With your deep topsoil, I don't think you have to do much except auger a 24" wide x 36" deep hole, plant and backfill with whatever soil mix you prefer.

Good luck.

 

[dave1949]

I think it is the Guerney Bros. catalog that said "Don't put a $20 tree in a $5 hole." There may have been some inflation since then.

 

[Jstpssng]

Before doing anything, a simple soil test (+- $20.00) from your local Cooperative Extension is a cheap investment. As others have said, spacing will be dependent on root stock; standard trees are usually placed on a 20x30 foot spacing; these can live to be 100 years old or better; but take the longest to produce. On the other extreme some ladderlessdwarf varities are grown on trellises on an 8 fo

ot spacing, start producing in 2 years, and reach maximum production in 5.

For your purposes you would probably be happiest with a "semi-dwarf"... you can plant them on a 15 foot spacing (wider between rows if you want; but if I wouldnt plan my orchard around what I have for equipment... that mix can be changed. )

Here is an excellent explanation of rootstock; it also explains why all apple trees are grafted... I forget the term but the seed never reverta true to form. Cornell U is a clearinghouse of fruit and gardening information... :thumbsup:

 

[Jstpssng]

Gardening Resources, Cornell University Oh yeah, forgot to include my link.