Creating an Orchard: How to Choose Your Fruit Trees Wisely

Factors to consider

Orchard location:

• First, study your region’s climate. The duration of sunshine, winter cold and the presence of late spring frosts are factors to consider when choosing fruit tree species and varieties.
• Next, observe the location of your future orchard. Determine your soil type, the surroundings of your plot (walls, hedges…), the exposure and any relief.
• Finally, depending on the available space, start drawing a plan and estimate the number of fruit trees needed. This estimate will vary depending on the species (tree dimensions at maturity), varieties (self-fertile or not) and chosen forms (different planting distances). You can also include small fruits within your orchard.

Your preferences:

They must absolutely be taken into account when planning an orchard. Estimate the time you have available to establish and maintain the orchard as well as your knowledge level. Regarding the harvest, assess the periods when you’ll be available and conversely, times of absence. Also consider your tastes – choose fruits you enjoy and that you could process if needed. Finally, adapt your orchard plan according to your available budget.

Choosing fruit trees

There are several forms of fruit trees: standard forms (full standard and half-standard), dwarf standards and trained forms.

You can choose a pre-trained tree or a maiden (one or two-year-old grafted young plant) which is less expensive but requires formative pruning for several years.

An orchard with dwarf standard fruit trees

We distinguish between:

• full standard trees, with a trunk of 1.80 to 2 m,
• half-standard trees with a trunk of 1.20 to 1.50 m,
• dwarf standard trees, where the trunk is 40 to 80 cm high.

Full standard trees:

A full standard tree has a long lifespan but requires space, though it has the advantage of not obstructing passage beneath the tree, especially with a lawnmower. Harvesting will be more difficult, sometimes requiring a ladder or waiting for the fruit to fall to the ground. The taller the tree, the more productive it is, but this production can sometimes be irregular as fruit thinning is not possible. The first harvests will appear more quickly on dwarf standard trees. These free-standing trees are easy to maintain, requiring only maintenance pruning every 3 to 5 years.

Dwarf standard trees:

Dwarf standard trees produce specimens that remain low in adulthood. At 3 to 4 metres tall, they have the advantage of being able to be planted a little more densely but their habit tends to obstruct pathways.

Trained forms:

Trained forms have an undeniable aesthetic appeal, whether installed against a wall or as a fruiting hedge, for example along the edge of a vegetable garden or orchard. Several forms exist (U-shaped palmette, horizontal cordon, oblique palmette…) which will be more or less suitable depending on the species, its variety and the rootstock used. Training allows for easy-to-pick fruit that appears quickly after planting. However, these forms need to be pruned precisely every year: a skill you may need to acquire.

Growing a trained tree against a wall: the ideal solution for small gardens

Planting fruit trees in a small garden

If you only have limited space, consider dwarf or columnar varieties, which can be grown in open ground and even in pots on the terrace.

Dwarf varieties exist for several species (apricot trees, plum trees, pear trees, cherry trees, apple trees, peach trees…) while columnar forms, with their upright habit, mainly concern apple and pear trees.

The first harvests appear quickly and picking is easy. In terms of maintenance, it is advisable to thin out the fruits but pruning will not (or hardly) be necessary, though you will need to be vigilant with watering for pot-grown plants.

To learn all about these varieties, discover our advice sheet: “Dwarf fruit trees, ideal varieties for pots or small gardens”.