Good for you.....It would be good exercise, but like swimming upstream in a swift river. If it were possible, postpone the digging until Fall arrives and leaves drop off. It would be very good to deep soak the whole area around each tree so as to change the clay into slushy, gooey, soggy consistency. Dripping, falling-apart wet. With rubber gloves, a sharp shovel a hand pruner, and a garden fork you could slowly try to uncover and clean each root and remove the slushy clay encasing the roots. Cut the roots as far from the trunk as you can. Especially salvage the thin, mossy roots. Gentle handling is very worthwhile. After the "fillet" of tree/roots comes out, you could hose it off to get rid of the remaining soggy clay. If it were possible, soak the entire root structure in a water-holding "vat" made of any kind of frame that could support 6 mil thick plastic sheeting that would make a shallow swimming pool. Let the trees soak for a day or 2 in water that is enhanced with fertilizer. For me, I use a strong dose of Superthrive in the water. Instead of digging a big hole for each tree and covering the tender roots with chunky native soil, I would use several bags of nursery's bagged potting soil to pour on top of the trees to make a mound on top of the undisturbed soil there with the tree staked upright and sitting on top of the soil. Keeping the mound continually moist is necessary so the thin mossy roots don't croak. All of this is greatly improved if done in late Fall. Good luck.

Interesting thing I noticed about Home Depots around here is they have someone at the self-checkouts who come and want to scan/ring your stuff for you. Thought that was sort of an oxymoron. Debby_ab, you being in retail can appreciate what I've experienced. I've had a lot of retail experience over the years. Asking if there is anything else prompts people to get moving, promotes impulse sales, reminds if you forgot something and more. Anyone who gets upset about that should not be allowed in public. I've said for a long time that people should have to do some time serving in a retail setting and dealing with the public to understand what the employees go through day in and day out with the customer is always right attitude and snob attitudes. Shame on all of them. They think they're so much better than retail employees but they ain't better than anybody. In fact, they're much below. As far as I know all the Aldi stores use the coin system to help return carts. No, there's not a "charge" or a rental, it's simply a deposit. That's why I chuckle about what people will do for a quarter. And many of the stores with checkouts have people watching on monitors to cut down on customer theft at the self-checkouts. People try all sorts of things, from making a motion like they are scanning and drop it in the bag without actually scanning, item substitution, even putting different bar codes over the one on the item. The scale has cut down on that, but it's still out there. I too think the employees would be far more valuable on the floor keeping the store stocked, helping people find things, get more when they run out, answer questions and in general, serving the customers. While I understand the argument of a job is lost, streamlining a store's operation is essential for the store to be able to continue and for those people to even *have* a job. I often thought it was shameful to have just one person working a gas station/c-store at nights (or during the day for that matter) and subject them to robbery and more. I had nightmares that something would happen to one of my employees similar to what happened to Katie Poirer some years back. I'm so relieved to see that many places have changed their policy in this regard.

Option 1 1. till the area intended as orchard and plant. 2. Dig 8 post holes on the perimeter and add steel bars. Pour concrete. 3. Add pvc pipe and tinker toy over the steel skeleton to create a cage. 4. Add deer fence/cattle panel around perimeter to reinforce against browse and winter damage. 5. Cover during summer pest months with mosquito fabric. You can buy this stuff, you just have to sew it together into the size you want, and I agree that is a pain. Option 2. 1. Observe that the plum trees already in my yard have not been touched by deer all winter. 2. Opt for a less intensive approach. 3. String wire from moderately distant trees and hang one of those mosquito drapes designed for beds during the buggy months per tree. option 3. Spray and hope. My husband is also looking into camping solutions for mosquitos in the pop up tent department, as many are quite tall and could be used.

Apricots would grow well in that area. Also almonds. Mulberry may be a possibility, but I'd do some research first to make sure you get a good tasting variety. (Black is usually tastier than red or white) A fig tree would be a good idea. (But be aware the trees can get messy with all the fruit dropping and rotting on the ground if you don't pick them) A walnut tree, but don't plant it close to anything else because walnut trees release a substance into the soil to make it difficult for other plants to grow nearby. (Be aware the downside is that a large walnut tree can attract loud flocks of crows) There are many other fruits that you could grow but these are the ones that will grow well where you live.