Hi everyone
I need advise to plant some new fruit trees, I tried to put pictures with some drawings with best of my abilities. Here we go I have six bare roots fruit trees all semi dwarf
1- Cot-N-Candy Aprium
2- Honey Crisp Apple
3- Cold Hardy Peaches, 3 on 1 Multiple Grafted
4- Pluot®, 3 on 1 Multiple Grafted
5- Peach Apricot Nectarine 3 on 1 Multiple Grafted
6- Sweet Cherry, 3 on 1 Van / Bing / Lapins Multiple Grafted
My question is If you look at first picture there are four apples trees I planted last year what about if I plant fifth Honey Crisp apple in the middle which will have about 7.5 Feet distance from each one on the sides. I have other spots available if this is not good. Please take a look at the first picture.
My second question if you look at the second picture I have marked 7 numbers does it really matter where should I plant any of the six trees mentioned above. Each spot will get at least good eight hours of sun. You may ask any question. Thanks for your time. Naeem
I wouldn’t put the honeycrisp where you have indicated ---- too close on SD roostock. A semi dwarf apple gets to about 15 feet by 15 tall. If you are really wanting to pack trees in, you should consider a more dwarfing rootstock and arranging them out on a trellis system.
I agree with the first poster on photo one. Plant that apple elsewhere since you have the room.
On your second question it probably doesn’t matter where you put the others or what arrangement of the trees. They’ll all get pollinated and spraying should work for all. I might favor spots 3 and 6 over 2, 4, 5 or 7. They might grow better away from those pine trees.
Thank You very much Steven for your pointing me out those pines, it is a good 15 feet distance from pines to spot 4 and even more distance about 26 feet for points 2, 5 and 7. It is just a bad angle of the picture. I can put more distance if needed.
I agree with the others, 10’ by 10’ is too close. You can get away with four trees that close together and then have lots mores space around the clump of threes for the trees to spread out. But a whole field of apple trees on 10’ centers will be too crowded.
It might be OK if you essentially dwarf the trees by intensive summer pruning. God bless.
Sure I will do that about the distance and stay away from the pines. Tree house in the picture will go down kids do not use it anymore. I was thinking to convert this tree house in some kind of green house God knows if I can do it or not. I am so glad I put this up so have other to look and give me good advise.
I think the orientation of the pines also matter. If they are to the North, it won’t matter as much as if they are blocking the sun in the other directions. You may want to watch which parts of the yard get sun at various times of day throughout the year.
I agree on not putting the Honeycrisp in the middle, just due to ease of mowing (keeping the strip open), if for no other reason. Keep in mind that HC is a very non-vigorous cultivar, so even if it is on SD rootstock, it will be more like a dwarf.
I’ve grafted my apple trees using the vertical axis trellis system on bud 9 dwarf rootstock. My trees are 3’ apart with 6’ wide rows without a problem. My trees are pruned at 36" wide and after 3 years are about 6’ tall. Semi dwarf would never work in this format. But no matter where you plant, you must have as much sun as possible. You mentioned pines, I had to remove about 10 cedar trees to avoid apple cedar rust.
Many commercial growers are switching to dwarf trees and attend classes as I did at The Snyder Farm in Pitman, NJ operated by Rutgers Univ. Attached is a picture of the Honey Crisp dwarf apple trees at the farm about 5 years old. I’m hoping mine look that good in the next two. Good luck.
