Home orchards, once a common site on any farmstead, seem to
be making a comeback these days. Much of the credit has to
go to the newer dwarf varieties of trees. Whereas a
standard-size apple tree can reach a height of 30 feet,
dwarf trees can produce the same apple but go no higher than
10 feet. That means less space and less work. Indeed, some
commercial orchards are even replanting with them.
Dwarf trees also begin to bear fruit earlier. You can start
picking apples in three to four years after planting versus
the five to seven years for standard-size trees. At peak
production, a dwarf tree can produce as much as 6 bushels of
fruit.
We ordered several varieties of fruit trees last fall (see
"Plan Now for a Home Orchard," October 2003) from Stark
Bro's Nurseries in Louisiana, Mo. The trees arrive in March,
a perfect time to plant because the trees are still dormant
from winter. Planting now will give them time to settle in
the ground and get established by the time the buds break
later this spring.
Planting a tree is pretty straightforward. Still, Elmer
Kidd, director of production at the nursery, gave us some
tips to get a small orchard off to a good start.
1. We started work on the orchard the previous fall by
choosing a well-drained area where the tree roots would
never be in standing water. (A north-facing slope is
preferable because it helps keep trees from budding too
quickly in early spring.) The first step was testing the
soil and adding the recommended nutrients. Next, we planned
the orchard out so the dwarf fruit trees would be 14 feet
apart in rows 16 feet apart. This will give us plenty of
room to mow between trees. We sprayed Roundup in
3-foot-diameter circles. In the spray was a preemergent that
would carry over into spring to help with weed control.
2. You can't go wrong with the old adage, "Dig a $10
hole for a $5 tree." Give the roots plenty of room so they
aren't cramped. Then cover with loosened soil. Dwarf trees
are nothing more than regular fruit trees grafted onto dwarf
roots, so there is a union knot between the two. Plant so
the union is 1 to 2 inches above the ground. That will keep
the top part of the tree from rooting. Then firm the soil
with your foot and water.
3. Common folklore is to prune both the roots and
the tops. However, the roots will already have been "pruned"
when the tree was dug up the previous fall. When the newly
planted tree comes out of dormancy this spring, it will need
all of the energy it can get to survive, so prune roots only
if they are broken or look damaged.
Prune the leader and branches heavily when you
plant. Kidd recommends taking a good 30% off, which allows
the reduced root structure to easily nourish the top. Take
off the top third of the central leader. Remove the weakest
limbs and take about a third off of the larger limbs. Prune
these at a bud facing away from the center leader so the
limb will grow away from the trunk.
Apple and pear trees will naturally grow upward and
slightly outward. You want to leave the upward growth but
encourage the outward growth.
Peach trees should be pruned so there is no central
leader, just limbs growing horizontally so the tree is
shaped like a vase.
4. Limbs will naturally want to grow upward. But
to induce fruiting, encourage them to grow outward by
pushing small plastic "tree spreaders" (available from most
fruit nurseries) at the base of each limb. Another method is
to simply tie them to a stake in the ground or to a small
weight.
For more information, you can contact Stark Bro's by
calling 1-800-325-4180.