Mixing apples and pears?

[Spruce85]

I’ve been planting a mixed orchard mainly for hunting purposes consisting of apples, crabapples and pears. Most varieties are full size trees, mid and late season and 20’ spacing with a couple semi dwarf on the southern edge. Is it ok to plant these mixed and scattered instead of in rows? I did so to look natural rather than thinking about pollination.

 

[Prof.Kent]

It just makes it a little more difficult to mow and doesn't allow maximum use of the space. Don't worry about pollination. If you have enough trees the bees will figure it out. I almost when "wild" spacing myself but since I only had 1 acre to use and I wanted the option of putting a garden & greenhouse in I ended up planting in rows. I ended up fencing the whole orchard anyway so they deer have to drool from outside the fence.

 

[cavey]

I have heard that pears can be fire blight magnets for your apple trees. I dont know how true that is especially up here in the north. I have them in my apple orchards but kind of clustered together on one side. I personally think it sounds like a good idea to have the mix. "Variety is the Spice of Life" as far as supplying you and the wildlife tasty treats!

ps... you can plant them anyway you like its your land and trees - the bees fly for miles, a few yards will make no difference.

 

[chummer]

I prefer wild spacing. That is more from just sticking them here and there a few at a time.

 

[Spruce85]

Thanks for the input. The pear varieties I have chosen are supposed to be highly resistant of fire blight. Hopefully that helps that problem. Hoping pollination won’t be a problem. I have roughly 10 pear, 10 apple and 20 crabapple all mixed together.

 

[buckdeer1]

I mix mine all up and a FB resistant pear should be planted even without apples.You will be fine

 

[H20fwler]

We have them mixed in our small orchard, in our bigger orchard they are segregated into the apple part of orchard and pear part but many are twenty feet from one another. I don't plant in rows just kind of zig-zag the spacing, mine are all for wildlife I don't worry about mowing.