rocks, and other debris from the site.<br><br> " Plow and subsoil the area to remove as many roots and smaller rocks as possible. Roots left in the soil can contribute to root-rot problems in fruit trees. " Test the soil, and apply lime, phosphorus, and other fertilizer nutrients according to soil test recommendations.<br><br> Apply lime and fertilizer if need- ed in the fall. Lime is very seldom needed for blue- berry plantings because blueberries require a strongly acid soil with a pH of 4.0 to 5.5. " Apply about 50 to 75 percent of the lime, phosphorus, and other elements on the surface, and plow as deeply as possible to get them into the root zone.<br><br> Deep-plowing of lime and fertilizer is especially important for tree fruit. After deep plow- ing, apply the remaining 25 to 50 percent of these chemicals according to soil test recommendations, and disc them into the surface 6 to 10 inches. Determining Home Orchard Size Not all people enjoy all fruits.<br><br> Evaluate your family situation, and plant those fruits that best meet your needs. The number of plants that will supply the annual needs for fresh and processed fruit for a family of Bve is listed in Table 1. If you choose to produce several fruit types, you will most likely have more fruit than your fam- ily can use.<br><br> For example, just Bve semivigorous apple trees 10 years of age can easily produce 35 bushels annually. Therefore, only plant what you enjoy eating, and avoid the chore of caring for more plants than you really need. Laying Out the Tree Fruit Orchard After preparing the site and determining the size of the orchard, you must next decide on a plan or arrangement for the orchard.<br><br> For a fairly level site, use the rectangular or square design. If the land is rugged and steep, follow the contour of the hillside. The square and rectangle are the most com- monly used systems for laying out orchards (Figure 1).<br><br> In the square design, a tree is set in each corner of a square, using the recommended spacing. The rectangular design is used to set trees at unequal distances, as for example with dwarf apples, using a 9- by 15-foot rectangle to set trees 9 feet apart in one direction and 15 feet in the other. Most growers prefer to arrange their orchards in straight rows for ease of working, but in some cases, contour systems may be needed (Figure 2).<br><br> On steep or rugged sites, contour systems help prevent or re- duce erosion and conserve moisture. Since rainfall, Table 1. Number of Fruit Plants to Meet Annual Needs of a Family of Five Fruit Type Number of Plants Tree Fruit Apple, semidwarf 5 to 8 Pear and Asian pear 3 to 5 Peach and nectarine 5 to 8 Plum 5 to 8 Cherry 4 to 6 Persimmon 3 to 4 Fig 3 to 5 Small Fruit Bunch grape 4 to 6 Muscadine grape 4 to 6 Blackberry, upright or trailing 12 to 15 Raspberry 12 to 15 Blueberry 8 to 12 Strawberry 200 to 300 Visit our Web site at : w w w .a ce s.e du sod Figure 2.<br><br> Contour planting using parallel rows or terraces should be used where soil erosion may be a problem. slope, soil, and other conditions vary in different parts of the country, growers use various arrangements. At the present time, growers use terraces in contour sys- tems when additional erosion control is needed.<br><br> In commercial operations, no matter which or- chard layout is used, a minimum 25- to 30-foot turn- around should be left at the ends of rows to allow easy movement of any equipment and machinery. Laying Out Small Fruit Plantings Many of the same guidelines for laying out a tree fruit orchard also apply to small fruit plantings, such as grapes, blackberries, and blueberries. Straight rows are preferred, although the contour system and terraces, where needed, work equally as well.<br><br> Strawberry plantings are laid off with tractors, using beds spaced 5 feet apart when plasticulture is used. Matted-row systems are generally laid off using 3 1 D 2- to 4-foot rows with or without bedding. Determining Planting Distances Proper spatial arrangement is very important in new plantings.<br><br> Aligning the trees carefully not only improves the orchard 9s appearance, but it also makes orchard operations easier. Individual tree or plant sites can be indicated with a stake. Use the recommended planting dis- tances in Table 2 to help determine spacing of trees within the layout you plan to use for planting.<br><br> The number of plants required to plant an acre can be determined by multiplying the distance be- tween trees in the row by the distance between rows and then dividing the Bgure into the number of square feet in an acre (43,560). Table 2. Recommended Planting Distances Fruit Type Planting Distance (in feet) Tree Fruit Apple, semivigorous, Nonspur: 15 × 20, 15 × 25 freestanding (MM106) Spur: 10 × 18, 10 × 20, 12 × 20 Apple, semidwarf, Nonspur: 12 × 20, 15 × 20 freestanding (M7A) Spur: 9 × 18, 10 × 20 Apple, semidwarf, Nonspur: 8 × 16, 10 × 16 trellised Spur: 6 × 16, 8 × 16 (M26 and M7A) Apple, dwarf, trellised (M9) Nonspur: 8 × 12, 9 × 14 Spur: 6 × 12, 7 × 14 Pear, common (hard) and European hybrids 20 × 20, 25 × 30 Asian pear 12 × 20, 15 × 20 Peach 20 × 20, 15 × 20 Plum 20 × 20, 15 × 20 Cherry 20 × 20, 25 × 25 Oriental persimmon 12 × 20, 15 × 20 Fig 15 × 15, 15 × 20 Small Fruit Bunch grape 8 × 10, 8 × 12 Muscadine grape 12 × 20 Blackberry Space rows 10 to 12 feet apart.<br><br> Space rooted plants 2 to 4 feet apart, or root pieces (erect types) 1 1 D 2 feet apart within rows. Raspberry 4 × 10, 6 × 10 Blueberry, highbush 5 × 10, 6 × 10 Blueberry, rabbiteye 6 × 12 Strawberry Hill system: 1 × 3 1 D 2 Matted-row system: 1 1 D 2 × 3 1 D 2 Plasticulture: 2-row, 5-foot bed with 26- to 30-inch crown. Space plants 12 inches apart within and between rows.<br><br> sod Figure 1. Laying out a square or rectangular orchard 1-Base line 2-First perpendicular 3-Second perpendicular Dashed line shows placement of stake at point x using three men and a 40-ft. tape (20-ft.<br><br> square plan) 2 3 1 0 9 20 9 40 9 x Arlie Powell, Extension Horticulturist, Professor, David Himelrick, Extension Horticulturist, Professor, William Dozier, Professor, and David Williams, Extension Horticulturist, Associate Professor, all in Horticulture at Auburn University For more information, call your county Extension ofBce. Look in your telephone directory under your county 9s name to Bnd the number. Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work in agriculture and home economics, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, and other related acts, in cooperation with the U.S.<br><br> Department of Agriculture. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M University and Auburn University) offers educational programs, materials, and equal opportunity employment to all peo- ple without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, veteran status, or disability. UPS, 8.3M03, New March 1999, ANR-53-I 1-Baseline 2-First perpendicular 3-Second perpendicular Dashed line shows placement of stake at point x, using three men and a 40 ft.<br><br> tape (20 ft. square plan). 2 3 1 0 9 20 9 40 9 x<br><br>

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