Hey everyone, I’ve been working on a few orchard layouts and would love some input or feedback from those with more experience.
I’m in zone 8b, located in the coastal mountains, with conditions similar to northern Vancouver Island—lots of fog, rain, and humidity for most of the year, but sunny summers. The site is about 75x100’, on a grassy and VERY bumpy prairie that used to be a homestead, bordered by a river and intersected by several creeks. The soil is sandy loam with quick drainage.
I’ve set up two potential layouts, with rows running north to south and 18’ between them (is this excessive?). The goal is to avoid a dark, cramped orchard—I’d like to leave space for walking through, using a small UTV or tractor, and creating a little sitting area where we can relax in the summer. I’ve designed it with mature trees in mind, but I’m not sure if that’s too much space?
Here are the two layouts I’m considering. I’d appreciate any advice on tree spacing, alternate design ideas or big red flags on shorter trees next to taller trees. Are there any specific things I should be keeping in mind for general orchard maintenance?
Hey, good luck this looks awesome. I cant really give you an answer on this but I like version 1 layout better with the little central area. Then again not sure how many times youre gonna be looking at the orchard from a birds eye.
Im mainly just commenting to ask whats your thought process in putting in Halls almond. Im guessing that is Hall’s Hardy Almond which is actually prunus amygdalus. I know you can eat them but there are also prunus dulcis cultivars (true almonds) that should be Hardy down to z5 (bounty, nikitas, prima, all in one). I would suggest getting one of those instead, especially in zone 8.
Or I would just suggest dont get two Halls Hardy Almonds… Good luck and hope to see pics of the orchard when planting starts!
Some feijoa and loquat would be included if it were me. But I can’t grow cherries here, but I’d definitely replace the almonds personally, I don’t care much for nuts.
@svr68 There wasn’t much thought process with respect to almonds. There was someone who recently mentioned growing a Reiliance Almond up on Whidby Island, and that seems like a silimar climate. When I looked at One Green World the earliest they had looked to be Halls - so I noted that down but I certainly need to do more research and appreciate your recommendations. I like the idea of diversifying too!
I’ll definitely keep that in mind and can sub another plant out so there are two. I was hoping to try one first before fully committing to getting any, then seeing if one will actually grow here.
Thank you for bringing that up. This year, we installed a weather station because there is a microclimate in these hills that does not align with local forecasts and I wouldn’t want to rely on that data. I hope this will give us a better understanding of the growing days over the next year.
Many of our plans are for future years, with the exception of persimmons, mulberries, one apple tree, and sour cherries, as I got a bit too enthusiastic.
Good tips, I will start tracking information more carefully and make adjustments based on your guidance and what can actually survive here.
Im planting some apricots and almonds but im in zone 5b so doing this is basically REALLY dumb. Nothings planned nicely on my end Im just sticking trees in rows equidistant from eachother and getting as many different unique cultivars as possible and seeing what lives never mind produces.
Anyway, Burnt Ridge has a couple of the ones I mentioned @30$. I grafted All-In-One this year fingers crossed it makes it thru the winter haha. But Halls Hardy is only partially self fertile so yet another reason to plant something else too!
Oh and I believe you are referring to Reliable (sp?) almond which is a peach x almond hybrid. I want one too! But the Ukrainian series of almonds (Bounty, Nikitas Pride, Prima) also seem great and maybe if you like a more typical grocery store almond and thinner shell they would be more appropiate.
There was someone who recently mentioned growing a Reiliance Almond up on Whidby Island, and that seems like a silimar climate. When I looked at One Green World the earliest they had looked to be Halls - so I noted that down but I certainly need to do more research and appreciate your recommendations. I like the idea of diversifying too!