Location questions

I’ve decided that the best place to start an orchard, is on the very back (north) end of my already fenced in vegetable garden. I recently began expanding it to 45 x 45, and determined I could fit three Bud 9 or M26 sized apples, peaches, or equivalent (with proper pruning) along the back end, inside the fence (important due to the godforsaken deer), and still have room for veggies.

In their infinite wisdom, the previous owners of this property decided to plant all the large trees on the south end of the property, which means that in the fall, when the sun is low but the leaves are still on the trees, most of the garden gets more shade that I would prefer. However, from April until August, most of it is in full sun for at least 7 to 9 hours. By September, its more like 4 hours of sun, then dappled shade.

Would fall apples be OK in this situation? Full sun for most of the growing season, with a bit more shade toward the end.

Second question…how close can I rototill to these trees, without causing any damage? Tilling would be for the vegetable plot directly in front of them, of course.

I don’t have a scientific answer for you. A couple things come to mind though.

Spraying the trees in proximity to your vegetable plot.

The inevitability that someday the trees will have roots that extend far beyond the dripline since you’ll be pruning and not knowing where the dripline naturally will be if (a) tree were allowed to show you where the natural dripline is.

That your vegetable plot will shrink as the years progress due to the roots.

However having said all those things, it’s very doable. What I see is a 6’ tree tall and wide and the distance for tilling from any tree of that size being about 6’ away. The first years of the dual plantings of trees and vegetables you should be fine to till 3’ away from the planting the first year and 4’ away the second year. Year three I would keep the vegetable garden tilled 6’ away and keep it in place from there forward tilling the same pattern each year.

The only thing that I don’t like is the inevitability of drift if you’re going to be spraying your trees. I mean apples are a must to be sprayed. They’re high maintenance.

I’ll jump start the conversation. I don’t know how far or deep the above mentioned rootstocks will go.

Dax

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Without a photo, it’s hard to explain, but eventually, the trees shading that part of the yard will be removed (English walnuts with zero nut production and severe anthracnose every year) – then the veggies will move there, and I will have more room for more fruit trees as well. This is three to five years plus.

Well, you’re a tree guy. You pretty well have all the common sense necessary to judge where to till and not.

Dax

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