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By Bobbie Whitehead

Fresh apples available in the home garden for snacks as well as for cooking make an orchard a useful investment, especially since the trees will continue to produce for years to come.

As the fall approaches, the home gardener or small-farm fruit grower wanting an apple tree orchard can find seedlings and rootstock readily available as garden centers increase their supply.

Gardeners can develop an orchard inexpensively, depending on the number of trees bought, and a plan detailing site selection, varieties and soil preparation will enable development to begin.

Site Selection

A gardener with plenty of open space that offers full sunlight has a perfect starting point for an orchard. A few things to consider when assessing the site include the slope of the land, its proximity to other trees and buildings and water availability.

If the site slopes somewhat, cold air in the winter will flow down away from the trees, offering some protection, writes Michael L. Parker, North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service horticultural specialist in the article, “Growing Apple Trees in the Home Garden.” Parker also notes that gardeners should avoid planting an apple orchard near a forest, other trees or buildings that can block sunlight as well as air flow.

Variety Choice

When choosing apple tree varieties, the gardener needs to find out if the apples wanted will grow in his or her area. Also, selecting apple varieties with multiple uses for cooking, baking or eating straight off the tree increases the orchard’s benefits.

Since same-variety apple trees cannot pollinate themselves and rely on cross-pollination, Parker writes that the home gardener will need to select at least two different apple tree varieties. Gardeners can also use a crab apple tree to pollinate a single apple tree variety.

Once the gardener has chosen the apple varieties, he or she can purchase the trees. Though growing from seed has become popular, apple seeds typically don’t produce the same quality of apples from which they came, if they produce apples at all. For this reason, the gardener should consider buying seedlings or rootstock, which contains a budded or grafted scion (tree top) on the roots, Parker writes in the article, “Apple Rootstocks and Tree Spacing.”

Tree Size/Number

Since smaller trees planted tend to bear fruit earlier, two-to-three years after planting, gardeners interested in harvesting fruit sooner may want to buy trees labeled dwarf or size controlled. Gardeners not concerned about the time between planting and harvesting can opt for seedlings for standard-size apple trees, which grow to about 18 feet, Parker writes. With seedlings, the gardener will have to wait six to 10 years for the trees to bear fruit.

Another consideration is how many trees to buy. Gardeners interested in apples to can or cook will find one tree sufficient (Keep in mind the second variety or crab apple tree needed for pollination.). Others wanting apples for home use as well as to sell at a farmers market, to a cannery or to a local retailer may need more trees.

The gardener also needs to measure the site before buying the trees to avoid having too many trees with not enough space. Dwarf or size-controlled trees need to be spaced eight and 18 feet apart while seedlings need to be spaced 30 feet apart, writes Rongcai Yuan, Virginia Cooperative Extension tree fruit specialist, in the article, “Tree Fruit in the Home Garden.”  

Also, some orchard developers may have plenty of space but don’t have the money to buy all of the trees they want. In this case, planting one or two trees a year can help offset some of the cost.

Soil Preparation

Apple trees grow best in fertile soils that have good drainage. To assure adequate soil nutrients and pH, test the orchard site’s soil before planting the rootstock. To gather soil for a test, dig about 18 inches into the soil to collect a sample, Parker writes.

If using a home testing kit, the gardener can read the results that day based on the kit’s instructions. For a professional test, contact the area extension office. Many extension services provide soil tests for free or for a small fee and will offer recommendations for soil improvement based on the results.

Planting

To plant the trees, dig the holes “as deep but wider than necessary to accommodate the root ball,” Yuan writes. ”Place the root ball into the hole and fill the hole about ¾ with loose dirt. Then, add water. Water placed in at this point will enable the dirt to cling to the roots. Allow the water to soak into the ground and add the remaining loose dirt, patting down the dirt, and continue this process for each tree.”

In spacing the trees, use measuring tape to space seedlings 30 feet apart. For dwarf and size-controlled rootstock, space them eight feet and 18 feet apart, respectively. Then, double the amount of space between rows, he suggests.

After planting the tree, it should be staked and tied to the stake, according to Parker.

Gardeners looking for apple tree rootstock or seedlings may find the varieties they need at local gardens centers, which already have apple tree rootstock and increase their inventory for fall and spring plantings. Some apple tree seedlings and rootstock can be purchased from the following:

1. Arbor Day Foundation, http://www.arborday.org

2. Stark Brothers, http://www.starkbros.com