If you have a garden, fruit trees definitely belong in it. In summer, you can also put large houseplants out in a space like this. Those of you with large gardens have a further advantage, as you can include standard (tall-trunked) varieties, in other words choose trees that are unsuitable for small spaces. But even with a small garden you can achieve something impressive with a mini orchard. No garden should be without fruit, after all, who wouldn’t want to stroll through it and pick, for example, a ripe apricot?
Plant trees in spring or autumn if you can.
Planting fruit trees is generally recommended either in spring or in autumn. So note down a date in this period in your productivity planner. However, if you give the trees the care they need at planting, you can plant them at any time of year.
Preparing the soil
Is your soil mostly loamy with plenty of humus and a topsoil layer 30 to 40 cm deep? Then you are halfway to success. You can dig such a plot more deeply and work organic fertilisers into the soil.
The problem arises if your soil is of lower quality, with topsoil around 20 cm deep, and rather clayey. Preparation is then more demanding. The soil beneath the topsoil can be used in two ways: either mix it with the topsoil, which will make it suitable for planting, or add it to the compost. Remove the subsoil, that is, the very bottom layer.
Planting distances
A lot depends on the rootstock, so plant fruit trees with sufficient spacing:
slender spindles: ideally plant them in rows about 3 to 4 metres apart, with 0.8 to 1.8 metres between individual trees
dwarf trees: this depends on the variety, but plant them at a spacing of 3 to 4 metres x 2.5 to 3 metres. In rows 3.5 to 4.5 metres apart with 2.5 to 3.5 metres between individual trees
quarter-standards: ideally at a spacing of 4 to 5 metres x 3 to 4 metres, in rows 4.5 to 5 metres apart and with 2.5 to 3.5 metres between individual trees
standards: with 6 to 11 metres between individual trees, depending on the type of tree
Planting fruit trees
As we have already mentioned, pay attention to the type of soil. As a rule, fruit trees like free-draining soil that is rich in nutrients and humus, with regular watering. Choosing the right spot is a matter of course. Remember that the planting hole should be about 1.5 times larger than the crown of the tree being planted. Watering during planting in dry weather will improve rooting later on.
Another principle is good-quality soil intended for planting trees. This is usually well-draining soil combined with a little sand, compost or manure. For tree species that like more acidic soil, we of course plant them in soil intended for this purpose (for example leaf litter, soil combined with conifer wood chips and so on).
Always plant trees at the same depth as when you bought them at the garden centre. Burying the trunk under a layer of soil or, conversely, leaving the root collar exposed does not pay off, and the tree would suffer. When planting, it is simply better to create a so-called basin, that is, a space for catching water. After pouring in a watering can of water, the water stays around the trunk and does not run off somewhere else. Always firm the soil down well.
And then just water and water.
But don’t overdo it either. Yes, it is about finding a happy medium, not too much and not too little.
The fact is that watering, and having enough water in the first six months, is very important for trees. And if you want your trees to root well and thrive, you cannot do without regular watering.
And one more tip: if your plot is next to a forest or you do not have a fence yet, do not forget to protect the trees from being nibbled by wild animals. Sometimes this simply does not occur to us, yet it will help us avoid ruining all the work we put into planting, because animals easily find their way to tasty young trees.
And then you can move on, for example, to a new stylish fire pit. Believe us, even a black bee will like a garden like this.
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