Setting Up Your Orchard!

[MoBuckChaser]

For Apple dumbass's like myself, how do you guys lay out a orchard. Now I ain't talking commercial stuff, just a nice orchard a guy and his deer can eat on. I have been planting apple trees on different farms for 35 years, but never anything organized. 2 Here, 4 over there, just throw them in and walk away. I have a lot of deer in MO and want to expand what I have done. Maybe adding 6 trees a year for 5 years. apples and crabs, Maybe put a 1/2 dozen pears on one end. Is there any rime or reason to your madness? Or my madness? Lets hear it!

 

[Native Hunter]

Laying it out for ease of mowing is a wise thing to take into consideration. I'm talking about mowing rows and taking turning and entry points into a field into consideration. Also the size of your mowing rig.

You already know about disease resistance and drop times.

Avoiding frost pockets is important.

Sunlight is another important consideration - the more the better.

Visibility from the stand, wind and entry are important

Spend lots of money to help the economy...............;)

 

[buckvelvet]

I have been thinking about this to Mo, I have a ton of trees to add to my orchard this yer and i'm not really sure how to lay it out in order of variety. I guess I should do bloom time maybe but lots to think about and WAY OVER ANALYZE on my end. :'(

 

[MoBuckChaser]

Believe me, I keep the fricken economy rolling!

Here is, or might be my plan. And since I have already got the first row on the left, give me pointers from here.
Red: Apple Trees
Yellow: Pear Trees
Green: Crabs
White area: Existing CRP
Blue Arrows: Current deer travel routes.

 

[MoBuckChaser]

Mo,

Besides the layout of the orchard I'd concentrate on 3-4 disease resistant trees that drop from September through at least November. That'll keep them happy.

Liberty
Enterprise
Goldrush
Keepsake
Jonafree
Novaspy

I have that covered with your top 3 for apples, Dolgo and Chestnut for crabs was my plan! Thanks!

 

[Native Hunter]

You may be fine with that plan, but my worries would be the big fence line trees to the east. They look big and their roots will continue to spread toward the apples in the first row sucking moisture from the soil. They will also shade the apples most of the morning.

I would suggest putting the orchard in the middle of the field to give separation from the big trees and have the CRP circling the orchard. If it is good cover, deer will use it during daylight to go to the apples. My interior plots are such a place surrounded by CREP on all sides and there is no problem with daylight movement into them.

 

[MoBuckChaser]

You may be fine with that plan, but my worries would be the big fence line trees to the east. They look big and their roots will continue to spread toward the apples in the first row sucking moisture from the soil. They will also shade the apples most of the morning.

I would suggest putting the orchard in the middle of the field to give separation from the big trees and have the CRP circling the orchard. If it is good cover, deer will use it during daylight to go to the apples. My interior plots are such a place surrounded by CREP on all sides and there is no problem with daylight movement into them.

The first row is on the west side about 30' from the shingle oaks in the fence row. All the trees should have sun all day and most of the afternoon as those shingle oaks are not very big yet. And if they get to close I will just cut them back, no big deal.

 

[4wanderingeyes]

I planted my "future" orchard in a 3/4 acre foodplot. My plot is approximately 80 yards long, by 50 yards wide, I have the rows going in the 50 yard direction, then I stagger the trees in the next row, as to not make a clean rows in all directions. Easy to mow, plant, disc as needed. I only put 4 trees in each row, so the trees arent on the edges of the plot, and more centered to be away from the shaded woods. Each tree is in fairly tight in the rows at 20 feet, but my rows are about 30 feet apart. I want the pollinating pairs to be in close, but I also want the trees to have room to grow. I have been to a few different commercial orchards, and that is about what they do. I have room for 6 rows of 4-5 trees in this food plot. Then I want to go back to the random planting on knolls, and a few human apples planted in the campsite area for me. I have plans for about 50 trees, and I only have a dozen so far, well 14, with 2 that will probably be replaced this spring. I plan was 5 a year for 10 years so to have different age classes.

 

[chummer]

Dolgo and chestnut will drop early I would put a couple close to the wood line if you are going to hunt early. I laid my orchard out in groups. I tried to put early, mid, and late in clusters. I have 4 or 5 clusters of 4-5 trees all in a 2 acre area. I will have a stand in the corner next to the first cluster. That way I can cover the whole apple season from one stand. Theoretically deer should hit the cluster closest to the cover on their way out.

 

[MoBuckChaser]

Dolgo and chestnut will drop early I would put a couple close to the wood line if you are going to hunt early. I laid my orchard out in groups. I tried to put early, mid, and late in clusters. I have 4 or 5 clusters of 4-5 trees all in a 2 acre area. I will have a stand in the corner next to the first cluster. That way I can cover the whole apple season from one stand. Theoretically deer should hit the cluster closest to the cover on their way out.

Great Idea!

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Our camp has a " main orchard " with trees 25 ft. apart and rows the same - 25 ft. apart. Makes mowing easy. I mixed regular apples and crabs together in those rows for pollination purposes. 38 trees in that main orchard. Mature woods with pines to the south and east of it.

We also have 30 other apples and crabs scattered around the property that were placed for maximum hunting ability. 3 here, 4 there, 8 in a double row, etc. They were planted with mature pines, hemlocks, oaks and maples in easy bow distance for stand placement, but all get LOTS of sun for most of the day. Sun lacking - fruit lacking.

I just mixed crabs in among the regular apples for pollination and have earlier and later varieties in all locations. Our food plots are scattered around through the property, and the clover and buckwheat blossoms draw bees and other native pollinators to the fruit trees.

No chess board, rocket science plan - just a dose of apple tree knowledge which I learned on here and from local orchard owners. Like plant your apple trees on the north side of a field if you have mature trees on the north and south sides of that field. Max sun exposure. Fruit trees are about 3 good jumps from cover ( for a deer ). I don't know if that helps you or not, but that's what we have.

 

[McLovin]

Mo, here's a calculator for tree spacing.

https://www.treeplantation.com/tree-spacing-calculator.html

 

[Merle Hawggard]

I have the main orchard at roughly 30' apart for most of my apples, but they're on standard rootstocks.
I keep them on north or east slopes to help with the Aug afternoon sun, it's a killer down here!
Looking forward to see how it turns out for ya MO.

 

[bwoods11]

Mo-- buddy has big farm in Decatur Co Iowa... he likes Arkansas Black for apples. That's his #1 he says.

He has 30 acre orchard.

 

[MoBuckChaser]

Mo-- buddy has big farm in Decatur Co Iowa... he likes Arkansas Black for apples. That's his #1 he says.

He has 30 acre orchard.

Is he selling potted trees?

 

[bwoods11]

Is he selling potted trees?

I just text him, he thinks he will have some extra. I can keep you posted.

 

[MoBuckChaser]

Far from awesome, but you're always welcome to check out my orchards Mo

I am sure they are top notch. But what I should do is drag you 7 hours south and have you look at what I have going on. You may tell me to shitcan the whole Idea.....

 

[buckvelvet]

Nah, setting up wildlife orchards isn't rocket science. I bet you're in pretty good shape overall

I hear he works out.


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[H20fwler]

I would say I fall into the apple dumbass category myself.....my theory has been that I'm in this deep why not throw more money at it!

I probably plant my apple trees to close together 20' give or take staggered in rows, I don't mow at all. No slopes to worry about here, flat as a pancake. I plant clover and chickory in the orchards and let them grow into a rabbit jungle except for around the trees. I do try and keep the pear trees segregated in their own area now...didn't do that with the first orchard.
I've tried to go with different varieties so I can have fruit drop from late august through late December...time will tell. I normally buy two of any new variety I think I have to have...don't know why. I also plant crabapple trees about every fifth tree to help with pollination...same with moonglow pears in the pear part of the orchard...not that I know if it really helps?
My orchards are for the wildlife..my family use is just a bonus. I do love messing around with the trees...I've got to say being in my orchard is my favorite place in the world...and I consider myself well traveled.

I'm always learning, and always surprised when I do something right....even a blind squirrel.

Going to put a bee hive in this spring...that should get me stung!

 

[BobinCt]

Don't buy dwarf trees. They are useless for wildlife planting. Buy semi-dwarf and standard if you really got patience. IMO, semi-dwarf is what I would go with. And if you don't want to waste $$, cage them for 6-7 years.