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Fruit & Orchards

Ground Prep for Small Orchard in Oklahoma

7 years ago

We bought a small acreage and are currently building a house on it. I'm planning on a garden north of the house, north of the garden will be the small orchard (9 to 12 trees), and then bee hives north of the orchard.

I'm not sure that everything will be ready for trees this spring, so I am planning on planting in the fall. There is approximately 4 to 6 inches of top soil with good ole Oklahoma red clay beneath. What should I do in the next few months to prepare the soil for the fruit trees? The trees will be mostly apple with some pears, peaches and plums. So I'm looking at an area, trunk to trunk of about 75' x 50'. Should I do the whole area (100' x 75')? Or just where the trees will be planted?

Thanks in advance.

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Comments (3)

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
7 years ago
You really don't need to do anything. Studies have shown that trees establish faster and grow better when planted into unamended native soils. It doesn't matter if it is an orchard of fruit trees or standard landscape plantings. All you really need to be concerned with is preparing a proper planting hole and appropriate after-care.

How to plant trees and shrubs
fruitnut Z7 4500ft SW TX
7 years ago
My first concern would be perennial hard to control weeds. If there are any try to kill them prior to planting. Take a soil test if you think it might be needed. But if whatever is there now is growing well fruit trees will also. Red clay is far better than gray or blackish clay. Red indicates the iron is well oxidized. Well oxidized equals well drained and it's drainage that really counts.
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captianeric
Original Author
7 years ago
Gardengal,
We did take soil samples to the OSU extension office and the advice was to add a 13-13-13 fertilizer at planting time. I also watched a video from the OSU extension office that said the same thing. So, I'm going to dig the holes that way and add fertilizer. Thanks for answering and I'm going to checkout that link.

fruitnut,
Nothing has been done with the land for probably 4- to 50 years. There are a wide range of native grasses and flowers in the area I want to place the trees. We're going to be taking grass samples to the OSU extension office to find out what we have.

There are trees around the area. There are several huge hackberries, some small oaks, junipers (that are in the process of being removed), cherries (I've been told), pears (not good ones), at least one persimmon, a couple of holly trees, honey locusts (all removed), hawthorne (removed) and at least a dozen more varieties that I'm not sure what they are yet. I've seen a couple of old walnut shells on the ground, but I haven't seen any nuts in any trees.

It rained Sunday, so I'm going out there today to check the soil. Thanks for your help.

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