I’ve planted some E. Pears, peaches, apples, and dwarf cherry at my last place, but we left after 4 years and don’t have a feel for getting the layout right when grouping them together. I also don’t have a feel for mature sizing on various root stocks. I understand that in Colorado, I should go on std rootstock for peaches, and either semi-dwarf or std for everything else. Ideally I would have smaller plants that can sustain here and require minor size pruning/maintenance, but I don’t want high-maintenance. I see some people going 3’ apart on trees, and other 20’ apart…
I have tricky lighting to deal with… lots of trees. What should I change about the below layout? I’d like to have at least:
2 E plums, 2 peaches, 2 E pears, 1 A Plum, 2 cherry, 1-2 apples, random berry bushes.
Sunlight is shown #/# format, meaning hours sun @ equinox/solstice. There is one mature pine that would need to be removed, which is called out.
Thats a very well done layout. You have a excellent and huge sized veggie garden and this is all one acre? Lots of trees too? The veggie garden has space for vines and berries for sure. I think you could cram way more fruit trees into there and keep them slightly smaller than you are putting them as well as you have all that space south of the irrigation ditch to go nuts on. But do what makes you happy.
I see space for two semi dwarves maybe up to three up top, one to the east of all your fruit trees if not like 4 in all those holes, and another 8-9 south of the ditch and around that big tree like montmorency which tastes amazing here.
Yeah, lots of trees. We moved to have more land for garden/fruit/etc, but ended up with this? Let’s just say low housing inventory and we figured we would remove more trees, but after you come to know how much isolation feel the trees provide, it is hard.
You’re looking at about 3/4 acre. The s-side of the ditch, closer to the house, is more of a lawn area, and underneath and E-W of the big tree are landscaping beds, about 10’ deep… W side is a good location for goose berries, currants, etc. On the E side… the big tree is probably 80’ tall, so good winter, spring, fall sun, but limited sun in summer. I’m sure something is ideal for that spot. Near the planned Montmorency are landscaping and flower beds… I don’t want to dominate it with trees, but some fruit bushes would be good. Montmorency seems like a pretty asthetic tree, though located in flower beds, I’d probably want to keep it maintainable without too much laddering.
N side of the ditch will be a combination of fence and hedges with rabbit wire to keep out the deer (mild, but present here) and rabbits. S side, not so protected.
My challenge is I don’t know what I don’t know… or sometimes I know I just don’t know. So, doing what makes me happy isn’t so easy to know. I’d like to avoid newbie mistakes, where possible.
Here’s what I do know:
I’m hearing that keeping orchard area(s) grouped together is a good thing. I’d love to just have an integrated fruit/veggie/flower/landscaping setting, but don’t think it is practical given my forest/shade, and think that makes for a lot of work.
It sounds like using wood chips is the way to go.
I don’t mind some maintenance on pruning, but this won’t be my primary hobby; if I miss pruning one year, I don’t want everything so tight that I can’t bring it back to some ultra-compact model.
I want to keep in mind pests/disease when it comes to spacing… at what point do they dramatically increase?
I’d like to minimize ladder use, where it makes sense
Definitely needs to be sustainable for front-range conditions (thinking cold hardy, root mass, and late blooming varieties).
In terms of watering, I would be irrigating, but want to avoid major die-back/damage if the irrigation has an issue or I’m not trying to produce one season. Let’s say I work abroad for a year or season. I was previously suggested by a local nursery owner (who is into fruit) to use std rootstock for local conditions, but some of you who are local seem to do fine with semi-dwarf trees that aren’t peaches. I don’t have space for standards or want to be up on ladders very often.
I’m leaning towards rows for the layout. My crazy idea is to sink a post at each end of each row, with a cable between, by which I could throw plastic over for makeshift protection during our next polar vortex or late spring hard frost. Christmas lights for heat source. Maybe a temp tunnel for the start of the season, over sensitive varieties?
For the ditch orchard area, I’d start at the ditch and grow the orchard north-ward as I plant/expand. This would allow the veggie garden to expand into more sunny territory (after pine tree removal) and it could then retreat as I plant more trees.
Soil is pretty good. I’ll post up the soil test. 20% clay, 20% silt, 60% sand. Easy digging without rocks, drains almost too well, but stays damp. Sticky mess when wet, rock hard on the surface in the dead of summer.
I’ll start with planting 6-8 trees, but want to be able to expand over time.
Hopefully this information will help others provide me with some guidance on spacing, layout and potential tree sizing? I understand it may be as much art as science.
Nice layout! For a small yard on my personal opinion you can always graft multiple varieties on one tree that gives you more varieties and options.
Also a Backyard Orchard Culture style is great for small yards or any. That might be suitable for your yard.
Just in case you want to find out more information about it. https://www.davewilson.com/home-gardens/backyard-orchard-culture
Thanks for the recommendation - very pertinent. Until a few weeks ago I wasn’t going the direction of grafting, as I didn’t understand the process… now it seems like a no-brainer. I actually got some scionwood this week to try and graft my apple and pear!
As to BOC, our conditions are too harsh to support it here, though we were really interested in it when we checked into it about 7 years ago. Everyone local said no way!
You’re welcome! There is several members that can help you out if you don’t know how, there is also lots of information about just everything and off course grafting!
About the conditions! You need to find out what varieties are best for your zone, about BOC you never know if you don’t try!
Whichever way you go I wish you good luck on your orchard project! Make sure keep us posted.
