Planning an orchard for your homestead

META: Is your homestead missing some fruits? Don’t worry! In this blog, I share the best tips for planning an orchard and more tips for growing your food!

There is a certain satisfaction that comes with creating something of your own. Once you have the finished product and know it was done completely by yourself, the feeling of achievement is unparalleled. Be that as it may, the pleasure is even greater when whatever you create bears fruit, quite literally. Orchards are an excellent way to create something wonderful. By setting up one, bearing the fruit of your labor (pun intended) will be quite a common occurrence.

Fruit trees have always been a crucial part of gardening, especially when it comes to homesteading. Now, if you are thinking about adding some beauty to your land by planning an orchard, then you have come to the right place. I have all the information you need, and today, we can look at this subject from various angles!

What is an orchard?

Fruit trees and fruit bushes are other names for orchards. These beautiful trees require almost minimal effort – they practically care for themselves. However, they’ll need your help and attention growing up before they are fully developed. It is such a shame that they are mostly the neglected ones, especially when it comes to some smaller homesteads.

When you ask yourself the question of what is an orchard, it is all about its beauty. You get to enjoy some wonderful trees that will give the sweetest fruits, exactly as you hoped! But come prepared – there is a lot to learn before you get your hands dirty and plant an orchard for yourself.

How to have an orchard?

Growing fruit trees is a process that takes time. Facing this fact before diving headfirst into the world of planting and nurturing them can help you organize things better. With some plants, it might take years to witness any fruit’s birth. So, the sooner you plant them, the sooner you will enjoy everything they have to give.

A lot of planning goes into this process, and you need to make a lot of things happen before you even get to the planting stage. Once you decide that this is the direction you want to take, there are a few things you should consider. I have compiled a small guide to serve as your North Star in planning an orchard.

Planning an orchard guide

Take a look at all the steps you should take into consideration when you are planning an orchard.

1.   Create a list of fruits

You may have the dream of creating a wonderful orchard, but, in reality, this might not be fully feasible. Before doing anything else, list all the fruits you want to add. See if it is viable to have them planted on the same land and manage your expectations. Remember that certain fruits may not grow in your region or require special needs that your homestead cannot provide. Looking for the most suitable fruit trees can get tedious and challenging at times. But also, enjoy this process because soon, you will be consuming your favorite fruits and fresh ones!

2.   How to have an orchard in your climate?

The Internet is your best friend. Make sure to google the area you are living in and see what fruits will thrive in those conditions. If you feel like the internet cannot help you a lot, you can always go local. Talk to a few gardeners and ask them about the subject. They have plenty of experience and will help you create your dream orchard. You might be amazed by the feedback you get. If you are lucky enough, you may end up planting some fruit trees which are not very typical for that particular area. So watch and listen carefully.

3.   The nature of trees

As confusing as this may sound, planning an orchard means nothing if you are not aware of the nature of the trees. Some types of fruit come from self-pollinated trees, and some will not. This does not necessarily mean that you should focus on having both types on your land, but find out which can bring you the most joy before planting. Some most self-fertile trees include apricots, citrus, fig, berries, peaches, pomegranates, grapes, etc. On the other hand, the trees that require a pollinator include cherries, apples, pears, Japanese plums, nut trees, etc.

4.   Study the conditions

Another piece of information that is extremely important to the process of planning an orchard guide is the condition of the land. Before I go into specifics, you need to understand that choosing the ideal spot for planting fruit trees is everything! So without further ado, here are some things you should check with your land:

• Soil conditions – test the soil before planting to know what you are dealing with. If anything needs fixing, it is much easier to do this before you plant the trees than after.
• Amount of sun – the land should get at least 6 hours of sunlight during the day. 6-8 hours is the ideal scenario, but this also depends on the type of fruits you want to plant. Different plants mean different requirements.
• Water – both standing water and its access are important topics to consider. The first one means that you might face long periods in the year where all you need to do is take care of the standing water. On the other hand, the latter means that you should adjust the water requirements based on each fruit tree.

5.   Determine the space

Determining how much available space you have will give you a clear idea of how many plants you can include. Consider how much space there should be between various trees and take it from there. You might have calculated for 10 trees in a row, but you will end up with 7 due to spacing. This is a vital part of planning an orchard; therefore, it requires your utmost attention.

6.   Plan on paper first

Which types of fruit do you want to include, and how much fruit should your orchard produce in your planning an orchard guide? If there is plenty of fruit at the end of each season, consider selling or donating it.

Planning an orchard is no walk in the park. It takes determination and plenty of work. However, in the end, you will marvel at the scene and love that you have done everything yourself!

Let me know your opinions on this subject – share them in the comment section below! Or – take a look at some other related topics!