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Spacing of standard apple trees
- Thread starter BobinCt
- Start date
4wanderingeyes
5 year old buck +
My first rows of trees are about 15-20 feet. I then started to plant them 20-25. Some people preach spacing, but almost every orchard I have been to, the branches are pretty much touching each other in the rows, with enough spacing in between the rows to drive there machines through to spray, and pick the apples.
About 2004 I started planting apple trees, usually about 4 per year. Then I took a break for a few years, then I opened up a larger area, and planted more. I stopped trying to over think things and just plant trees where I have an opening. I have even started to plant them inbetween rows, because I had space, and I feel the deer would feel more comfortable with a more natural orchard.
My trees are still rather young, anywhere from 1-17 years, so maybe as they grow bigger, I may regret it, but so far I don’t think it has bothered the trees at all.
About 2004 I started planting apple trees, usually about 4 per year. Then I took a break for a few years, then I opened up a larger area, and planted more. I stopped trying to over think things and just plant trees where I have an opening. I have even started to plant them inbetween rows, because I had space, and I feel the deer would feel more comfortable with a more natural orchard.
My trees are still rather young, anywhere from 1-17 years, so maybe as they grow bigger, I may regret it, but so far I don’t think it has bothered the trees at all.
bigboreblr
5 year old buck +
My home is in a town that used to have orchards everywhere. The old trees in my backyard are spaced 20ft apart. The rows are 25ft apart. The remaining active orchard by me uses semi-dwarf trees. looks like 15ft apart with the rows 20ft apart.
The row patterns are square. You drive down the path look 90 to your left at a tree. Look 90 degrees to the right the other side tree is there.
This is my backyard. I do harvest a deer every other or third year.
Besides the basic trees. What elese are you doing. If aiming for low to no fertilizer, you might want them a bit open to let clover to grow.
IF using to attract / hunt. Bucks like to cruise secretly downwind of where does might be, the food. I live 1 mile away from a large river, wind is either from west to east, or from south to north. So, having some nice open row on the west and south side of a food plot area would be great. Leave a little more space between the brushy edges and the 1st row of trees, and you can plant a row of taller grass. IF you have a side chute mower, you can push the grass towards the trees providing nutrients as well as cover. Remember the bucks greatest pressure is each other. They avoid each other, they fight when they cant....
My old home had 4 or 5 trees in the downwind corner. Fired off the 450 marlin cannon right at a nice 8 pointer. Bullet went right through and square into the trunk of one of the trees. One shot kill of both deer and tree. IT lived but barely produced 2 years after that. Sold the house the next spring. Good to keep the a bit farther apart.
A coworker has his about 35ft apart and pants in the rows. If you plan on hunting, you can plant in a star pattern, so you have clean shots between the rows.
The row patterns are square. You drive down the path look 90 to your left at a tree. Look 90 degrees to the right the other side tree is there.
This is my backyard. I do harvest a deer every other or third year.
Besides the basic trees. What elese are you doing. If aiming for low to no fertilizer, you might want them a bit open to let clover to grow.
IF using to attract / hunt. Bucks like to cruise secretly downwind of where does might be, the food. I live 1 mile away from a large river, wind is either from west to east, or from south to north. So, having some nice open row on the west and south side of a food plot area would be great. Leave a little more space between the brushy edges and the 1st row of trees, and you can plant a row of taller grass. IF you have a side chute mower, you can push the grass towards the trees providing nutrients as well as cover. Remember the bucks greatest pressure is each other. They avoid each other, they fight when they cant....
My old home had 4 or 5 trees in the downwind corner. Fired off the 450 marlin cannon right at a nice 8 pointer. Bullet went right through and square into the trunk of one of the trees. One shot kill of both deer and tree. IT lived but barely produced 2 years after that. Sold the house the next spring. Good to keep the a bit farther apart.
A coworker has his about 35ft apart and pants in the rows. If you plan on hunting, you can plant in a star pattern, so you have clean shots between the rows.
I currently have about 40 trees now , but all semi dwarf and I believe I spaced them at 20-25. I know standard trees are a bit bigger and read those could be planted at 20. I always thought standard was 30. The trees are for wildlife use only. I don’t ever plant to hunt in or near the trees, but prob 300 yards away intercepting them coming and going. I’ve cleared a good size area this year with an excavator and had it stumped. I’m sending soil test in this week to check the PH and P-K levels. But if I plant trees at 20 vs 30 ft, or vice versa, it makes a difference when I order.
Wild Thing
5 year old buck +
I plant my standard sized trees 20' between trees and 20' between rows. Semi-Dwarf 15'.
These are young semi-dwarf on 15' spacing...
This photo was taken 3 years after I planted the SD trees
These are standard sized trees 7-8 years after I planted them on 20' spacing. It looks like there is plenty of room when they are young...
but as they grow - maybe not so much...
I don't want the branches touching but they would if I didn't keep them trimmed back...
20' spacing seems about right to me...
These are young semi-dwarf on 15' spacing...
This photo was taken 3 years after I planted the SD trees
These are standard sized trees 7-8 years after I planted them on 20' spacing. It looks like there is plenty of room when they are young...
but as they grow - maybe not so much...
I don't want the branches touching but they would if I didn't keep them trimmed back...
20' spacing seems about right to me...
Apple Junkie
5 year old buck +
When I bought my home 20 years ago, there was a 20-year-old orchard already growing in my back yard. Now, the canopies pretty much cover the entire area and I’d hate to see them planted any closer to each other. These trees are planted on a 30’ x 30’ grid. In fairness, they were not well pruned early on and some major limbs branch outward a few feet off the ground.
I plant my "camp" orchard on a 25’ x 25’ grid, made up of trees on M.111, B.118, and P.18 rootstocks. When I am planting young trees at the camp, I keep thinking I can get more into a given area. But when I get home, I wonder if I left enough space between trees! For me, 25’ spacing is about right. - Beautiful orchard Wild thing!
I plant my "camp" orchard on a 25’ x 25’ grid, made up of trees on M.111, B.118, and P.18 rootstocks. When I am planting young trees at the camp, I keep thinking I can get more into a given area. But when I get home, I wonder if I left enough space between trees! For me, 25’ spacing is about right. - Beautiful orchard Wild thing!
Wild Thing
5 year old buck +
Thanks Apple Junkie. Yes - 25' would be about right if you didn't want to be too concerned about them reaching out too far. I do make the effort to keep them "contained" so they don't reach out too far - plus the longer the scaffolds, the more stress on them when they are carrying a load of fruit.
With 20' spacing, my fence is only 10' outside the outer row of trees. If I didn't keep them trimmed back they would be growing outside the fence. I also like to keep the tops within reach of a short ladder - about 12' or so high, max. Those are the people orchard trees. The wildlife trees it isn't all that important if they grow a little taller.
With 20' spacing, my fence is only 10' outside the outer row of trees. If I didn't keep them trimmed back they would be growing outside the fence. I also like to keep the tops within reach of a short ladder - about 12' or so high, max. Those are the people orchard trees. The wildlife trees it isn't all that important if they grow a little taller.
H20fwler
5 year old buck +
I have them spaced all over the place 15'-30'. One of my orchards the long term plan is for it to be a small woods of just fruit trees, I don't care if the branches end up touching it is 99% just for wildlife.
I agree with 4wanderingeyes..don't overthink it. I've seen full grown apple trees that are doing great with trunks a couple feet apart, not a bunch just pairs.
If your goal is to mow around them leave plenty of room to do that.
I agree with 4wanderingeyes..don't overthink it. I've seen full grown apple trees that are doing great with trunks a couple feet apart, not a bunch just pairs.
If your goal is to mow around them leave plenty of room to do that.
Mortenson
5 year old buck +
I just pace mine off, and off the top of my head I've gone 24' between trees and 30' between rows. In a few odd spots I'll squeeze some trees tighter than that. A few of those spots are so close that I can't mow with the tractor between them. For some reason I visualize that being the spot where I drop a booner in 20 years.
I need to quit planting fruit trees but I could take alittle more out of soybeans and plant some. I think I can get 20 in this little patch and still see through them.I won't plant any closer than 25 ft now after planting quite a few too close.That orchard looks great
Bowsnbucks
5 year old buck +
Our camp orchard is planted with 25 ft. between trees and 30 ft. between rows. Our rootstocks are MM-111, B-118, Antonovka, and P-18 ...... so the trees will be bigger - 18 ft. to 25ft. tall on the MM-111 & B-118 trees, 30 ft. tall or so on the Antonovka & P-18 trees eventually? Once our trees get to a certain point, very little pruning will be done to them, other than damaged limbs or diseased ones. Our trees are for wildlife - no fussing for commercial quality apples. 25 ft. seems adequate for spacing so far. FWIW.
