The first step in planning any orchard is to select the type of fruit, or fruits, you’d like to grow, as well as the specific variety. “Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.” – Martin Luther. The ½-1 Acre Design With this system, trees are planted very close together to limit … While this may not sound like anything new, the real innovation is the way the trees are planted. This layout pretty well has it all on ¼ acre. and High-Density Planting - Simple Examples.) As a small farmer or even just a backyard gardener, you don’t need to go with such large trees, which are called standard. Do not rely on tree tags. Think creatively with your space.

The Backyard Orchard Culture technique also make use of espaliered trees (trees grown flat against a wall or trellis) to take advantage of small spaces. Dwarf Fruit Trees for Your Backyard Orchard You may be surprised to discover how many trees you can grow in a small backyard. Lastly, a permanent record of the tree(s) and layout should be made and filed in a safe place. How To Set Up a Backyard Orchard. 300 lbs of a good storage apple may be great. You can plant some apples in the backyard, a few pears on the side yard, perhaps a cherry in the front lawn, and some figs in a container. And! View this layout 3. With dwarf fruit trees, columnar varieties, espalier trees and just by the way you prune the tree, can make a difference in size and fruit bearing. (See What Is Backyard Orchard Culture? Fruit Tree Garden Garden Trees Fruit Trees Garden Bridge Big Garden Dream Garden Home Design Orchard Design Garden Playhouse Mini-orchard in your yard Planting blueberries or a small tree such as a persimmon is an easy way to grow fruit at home. Fruit Orchard Design for Small Spaces Following these expert strategies on fruit orchard design, home gardeners will find they can grow loads of fruit they love even if their yards are small. The Small Backyard. If planting high density, plant as close as 18 inches apart for 2, 3 or 4 trees in one hole and 2 or 3 feet apart for hedgerow. Remember that trees don’t have to go side-by -side in your home orchard. Rewards of Backyard Orchard Culture There is a definite sense of accomplishment and satisfaction, a special pleasure in growing hour own fruit, in growing new varieties of fruit, in producing fruit that is unusually sweet and tasty, in having fruit over a long season and in sharing tree-ripe fruit with others. Most trees need good, well-drained soil and prefer slightly higher ground for drainage. 28 Farm Layout Design Ideas to Inspire Your Homestead Dream. ... Plus, you have room for your kids to play and to have a small orchard too.

Your home orchard doesn't have to be planted all together. Deep soil (up to six feet) is also important. 3 Steps on Planning Your Mini Backyard Orchard will put you on the path to being able to grow your own fruit. The inspiration for this blog post is the abundance of fruit I’ve been harvesting lately in my own backyard. By Jennifer Poindexter.

A permanent, filed record of dates, tree location in the orchard, cultivar, rootstock, cultural notes, and other pertinent information is a must in the home orchard. When gardening in small spaces, most people tend to gravitate toward the dwarf or mini-dwarf varietals, or even columnar trees. The other thing is that I feel like the proponents of backyard orchard culture have good points about smaller trees being more manageable since you can harvest, prune, etc. Setting up your orchard will depend on your space and landscape. You might even consider starting some fruit trees, such as figs, in pots. from the ground and matching crop size to your needs. You may have room for a full-sized apple in the corner of the backyard, a dwarf cherry on the side of the house, and a couple of plum trees in the front yard. I did mention that Backyard Orchard Culture is a high density planting technique, and that is the key. I even have Italian relatives who plant dwarf fruit trees in their vegetable and flower garden. It's up to you. When you picture an orchard or fruit trees, you are probably imagining a large-scale, commercial property with large trees that require ladders for pruning and harvesting. If you have plenty of space and want larger trees, plant at wider spacings. So pick the area(s) you wish to grow your trees in and dig down as far as you can to look at that soil.