Establishing an Orchard

A well planned and managed orchard can be an asset to a family or a community. Lack of
proper planning and care is the main reason for the failure of orchard enterprise.
I. Introduction
Establishment of an orchard is a long term investment deserving careful planning and
management. Any initial mistake in the selection of site, planting distance, varieties, cultural
practices, procedures in raising nursery or in the management practices can considerably reduce
the returns from orchard.
II. Site Selection
Selection of site is important for orchard establishments as most fruit trees are perennial.
Climate and soil are the chief natural factors on which success or failure of the orchard depend.
In the selection of site, the following aspects should be carefully considered:
1. Regular transportation facilities;
2. Good marketing facilities;
3. Sufficient irrigation facilities;
4. Availability of sufficient labour and experienced fruit growers;
5. Easy availability of farm inputs like, manures, fertilizers, seedlings, implements,
instruments, tools, etc;
6. Safe distance from any badly diseased plantations;
7. Proximity of owner's house to orchard for effective supervision;
8. Presence of fruit based industries to ensure a steady market for products;
9. Avoidance of waterlogged area or provision for good drainage; and
10. Possibility of locating the orchard, if possible, close to horticultural research stations,
agricultural colleges, district farms and
11. Demonstration farm from where advice of experts is available.
III. Assessment of Resources
Selection of site should be followed by a detailed assessment of its resources namely (1)
land, (2) climate, (3) location, (4) soil, (5) vegetation, (6) water source, (7) power, (8) availability
of labour, (9) marketing facilities, (10) availability of inputs, (11) storage facilities, (12)
processing facilities, (13) credit/banking facilities, and (14) cooperative support.
 The following are some of the important factors to be considered for assessment.
1. Land: area, topography, direction of slope, drainage point, whether hilly, slopy, levelled or
rocky.
2. Climate: tropical, subtropical, temperate, humid, amount of rainfall.
3. Location: closeness to roads, river, streams, market, village, town, City, transport and
communication facilities, agricultural universities, research stations, demonstration farm, seed
farm, horticultural departmental offices.
4. Soil : clay, clay-loam, loam, sandy, sandy-loam, fertile, depth of soil, organic matter content,
eroded/not eroded.
5. Vegetation: thick, moderate, scanty and variety of vegetation.
6. Water source: whether there is any water source in the land, ground water table.
7. Power: electricity, diesel, animal.
8. Availability: sufficient/not sufficient of labour
9. Marketing: sufficient/not sufficient facilities
10. Availability of inputs such as fertilizer, pesticides and medicines: availble/not available
11. Storage: available/not available facilities
12. Processing facilities: available/not available.
13. Credit/banking: available/not available.
14 Cooperative Support: available/not available.
IV. Preliminary Operations
After selecting a site, a few tillage operations have to be done on the land. These
operations improve the physical, chemical and biological conditions of the soil. Some of the
main Cultural operations are described.
1. Clearing the land
All undesirable vegetation in the field (such as trees, shrubs, bushes, grasses and parasitic
plants) should be cleared off.
2. Ploughing or digging the land
It is highly advantageous to plough or dig the land to loosen the compactness of soil and
to bury leaves and other plant residues. It will make the soil conditions more favourable to plant
growth by improving the water holding capacity of the soil. If possible, levelling of the land
should be carried out.
3. Levelling the land
Leveling involves considerable shifting of soil and, therefore, is an expensive process.
This is practiced mainly in undulated site. The site is divided into sections and leveled section
wise.
V. Planning the Orchard
Before undertaking the actual planting it is worthwhile to prepare a plan according to
scale on paper for the orchard showing the alignment of farm roads or paths, buildings, irrigation
channels, fruit trees grown in different sections, drainage channels and locations of hedges and
windbreaks.
A. Roads and buildings
The main road of the orchard should be connected to the village road. This road, as far as
possible, should be in the centre of the orchard. Sub-roads can also be constructed perpendicular
to the main road. These sub-roads can lead to different sections in the orchard. The width of the
main road can be 2 to 3m depending on several factors like size of farm, mode of transport and
the volume of farm products. The roads should be given a mild slope to drain out water.
Buildings are mainly constructed for keeping the implements, storing the produce,
keeping the records, etc. Watchman's residence can also be constructed at a convenient place in
the orchard. These buildings can be constructed at one place so as to reduce the construction
cost. For effective supervision, it can be built in the centre and near the main path of the orchard.
The land required for construction should be left unplanted even if the construction is delayed.
B. Irrigation facilities
` Adequate irrigation facility is one of the main farm inputs for production. This can be
made available by digging well(s) or through government irrigation channels.
If a well is the source of irrigation, it should be dug before planting as the tree~ require
water as soon as they are planted. The water from the well should be delivered, as fat as possible,
at the highest point to facilitate easy distribution at less cost. The main channel is fed with water
from the main source. U necessary, sub-channels can also be constructe (to carry water to
different blocks. Usually, the width of the main channel is 1.5 metre and the sub-channel 0.75
metre. However, it varied with size of the orchard and the number of tree one wants to irrigate.
C. Fencing
 To prevent destruction of the trees by cattle and to protect the orchard from trespassers, it
is necessary to provide some kind of fencing to all sides of the orchard. This should be done
preferably before planting the fruit trees. While planning for fencing, it should be remembered
that the fencing should be as economical a possible both in terms of expense and land use.
Types of fencing:
There are four types of fencing
1. Barbed wire fencing
The most common type of fencing, though expensive, is barbed wire fencing. The wires
having iron thorns do not allow anybody to enter the orchard easily. Wire fencing occupies less
space compared to other types of fencing.
2. Wall fencing
Wall fencing is of different type’s ego mud wall, concrete wall, stone wall, brick wall,
etc. The height may vary from orchard to orchard and also from place to place. However, a wall
of five feet around the orchard is considered ideal.
3. Wood wall fencing
It is just like stone wall fencing except that in place of stones, wooden logs are used. This
fencing is practiced where wood is cheap, specially, in the case of orchards located near the
forest. However, such fencing is discouraged in view of the disappearing forests.
4. Trees, bush & shrub fencing
This is also known as live fencing. These types of fencing occupy a lot of space but they
provide good protection and also beauty to the orchard. The plants chosen for the hedge should
be fast and thick growing and also strong and thorny. The living fence needs much care and
management.
D. Windbreaks
A windbreak consists of one to three rows of tall trees planted closely together around the
orchard against the direction of the wind or at suitable intervals in the orchard to give effective
protection to the fruit trees against strong and desiccating winds. The main functions of
windbreaks are:
1. They reduce the wind velocity and minimize the damage to fruit trees;
2. They minimise the adverse effects of high and low temperatures on plants;
 3. Fruit set better in the orchard, as conditions are more favourable for pollination. There is
less dropping or rubbing of fruits; and
4. Water loss due to evaporation of soil moisture is reduced to a great extent.
The windbreaks are raised by planting trees like eucalyptus in one row along with a
second parallel row of slow growing, dense crowned evergreen trees such as tamarind, jackfruit,
shisham, mango, jamun and ber.
VI. Planting Systems
Commonly, there are five systems of orchard planting. They are: (1) Square system, \ (2)
Rectangular system, (3) Quincunx or diagonal t system, ( 4) Hexagonal system, and ( 5) Contour
system. A brief explanation of these systems is given below.
1. Square system
Square system of planting is the simplest and the most convenient among the planting
systems. Trees are set at the corner~ of a square formed by intersecting lengthwise parallel lines
with crosswire parallel lines. In square system, plant to plant distance is the same as row to row
distance.
2. Rectangular system
The method is similar in all respects to square system except that plant to plant distance is
less than row to row spacing.
3. Quincunx or diagonal system
The quincunx or diagonal system is same as square system, but with the addition of a tree
in the centre of each square. In this case the number of trees are almost double of that in square
system. The central tree is usually not a permanent tree and is planted just to fill the central place
to serve as an additional source of income till the main trees come into bearing.
4. Hexagonal system
The hexagonal system is also known as equilateral triangle system as the trees are planted
at the corners of equilateral triangles. In this system, the distance between the rows is 86 per cent
of plant tc pJant distance.
5. Contour system
Contour is an imaginary line across a slope joining the points at same elevation. The
system is only meant for hilly tracts. Contour lines are marked using a dumpy level or any other
suitable instrument and trees are planted on them at tl'1e required distance. This controls the soil
erosion.
VII. Purchasing Saplings from Nursery
After preparing the layout plan, the grower must place his order for planting material well
in advance. The factors to be considered while purchasing plants are: (1) age and grade of trees,
and (2) source of supply.
1. Age and grade of trees
The age of the tree is always estimated on the basis of the age of scion (the aerial portion of a
plant which is being propagated by grafting on another plant). Fruit trees, one or two years old,
are ready for planting. Neither older trees not too young trees should be purchased since they
don't establish themselves easily.
Along with age, the size of the tree in terms of diameter of the trunk should also be
considered. The optimum diameter ranges between 1.5 to 3 cm for most of the plants.
As far as possible, purchase only those trees which are propagated from selected strains
or variety, which had consistently shown excellent performance.
2. Source of supply
It is always advisable to purchase trees from a nursery of established reputation,
preferably from one on the approved lists of the department of agriculture of the state. The fruit
grower himself (if necessary accompanied by an experienced person) should visit nursery to buy
the plants.
The plants may be purchased from a nearby nursery. It is essential to inspect all the stock
carefully before purchase. Reject all the diseased plants as they are likely to transfer the diseases
to the healthy plants.
If the plants received are deciduous (a tree which sheds its leaves every year at the end of
the growing, season), they should be planted within 48 hours. They should be stored in a cool
place under shade and should be watered till they are planted.
Fruit plants propagated vegetatively (i.e. through grafting, budding, layering, etc.) are
true to parent plant and as a result it is possible to obtain uniformity in growth, yield and quality
of fruits.
VIII. Planting
A. Season
The season of planting varies with different fruits and local conditions. In India, there are
two seasons of planting: (i) monsoon (June to August), and (ii) spring (February to March).
The monsoon season is considered to be ideal time for planting evergreen fruit trees like
citrus, mango and guava. If irrigation is assured spring season is the best time for planting.
B. Selection of plant material
Quality of the produce and the ultimate success of the orchard depend upon the planting
material selected at the time of establishment of the orchard. The following points should be kept
in mind while selecting plant material:
1. Select vigorous, healthy and well growing plants.
2. Plants should be free from pests and diseases;
3. Plants which are one year, old and of medium size (0.75 to 1.0 metre height) are ideal for
planting;
4. Avoid very old and very young plants as plant mortality is high in such plants;
5. Select plants of known origin or parentage,
6. Select a variety with good bearing and assured market
7. Choose one or two varieties keeping in mind the uniformity in their growth and yield;
8. Purchase at least 20% more plants considering the possible causalities; and
9. Plants should have a sufficient ball of earth to protect their roots or they should be the
ones growing in polythene bags
C. Distance
The planting distance (space between plant to plant) varies with the kind of fruit trees,
size at maturity, fertility of soil, rainfall or availability of irrigation water and other agro-
climatic factors.
For proper development and better yield, the fruit trees must be spaced accurately. The
two important factors which determine the spacing of fruit plants are: i) natural habit of the plant,
and ii) soil and climatic conditions.
Trees with a naturally big spread such as mango, jackfruit and litchi need larger space
than "trees such as Santra, Musambi, guava, peaches and plum. Grafted or budded trees 1n
general being smaller than trees raised from seeds require less spacing. Trees of the same kind
grow better and bigger in a favourable agro-climatic and soil conditions than the trees growing in
unfavourable conditions. The former obviously require more spacing than the latter. Table 1
provides the normal planting distance for the most common fruit trees.
Table 1 Planting distance for common fruit trees Name Distance (metres)
Sl.No Name of fruit trees Distances
(metres)
1 Almond 6-8
2 Apricot 6-8
3 Apple 8-9
4 Avocado 8-9
5 Banaa 1-2.5
6 Ber 11-12
7 Bread fruit 12
8 Cashew nut 7-8
9 Cherry 10-12
10 Custard apple 5-6
11 Date palm 11-12
12 Fig 3-4.5
13 Grape 2.5-6
14 Grape fruit 6-8
15 Guava 6-8
16 Hazel nut 2-3
17 Jack fruit 10-12
18 Jamun 10-12
19 Japanese persimmon 7-8
20 Kagzi lime 5-6
21 Karonda 2-3
22 Lemon 5-6
23 Litchi 9-12
24 Loquat 7-9
25 Mandarin 4.5-6
26 Mago 12
 27 Mangosteen 9-11
28 Mulbery 6-8
29 Papaya 2.5-3
30 Passion furit 3-4
31 Peach 6-8
32 Pear 4-5
33 Pecan nut 12
34 Phalsa 5-6
35 Pineapple 1-2
36 Plum 5-6
37 Pomegranate 5-6
38 Pumelo 5-8
39 Santra 6-8
40 Sapota 8.5-10
41 Strawberry 0.8-1.0
42 Sweet orange 6-8
43 Walnut 12

The distances are determined based on the it, crown I s growth of variou~ fruit trees
under ,~ normal soil and climatic conditions. The branches of trees when fully grown should not
overlap each other. Hence, the tree to tree spacing is equal to the diametre of the crown of a full
grown tree.
D. Disadvantages of close-planting
1. Close planting results in over-crowding.
2. When trees are planted too close to each other, their roots become entangled and compete
for nutrients. Consequently trees grow poorly.
3. Closely planted trees do not get sufficient light and air.
4. When there is scarcity of water the closely planted trees suffer more.
5. Due to inadequate growth and development, the yield of closely planted trees will be low.
6. Inadequacy of light in thickly planted orchards results in poor development of fruit color.
 7. Close planting hinders proper cultural operations.
8. Closely planted trees naturally tend to grow tall , and slender making pruning, spraying
and harvesting difficult.
E. Digging of pits
The plot where the trees are to be planted should be laid out by marking the position of
fruit trees by fixing pegs.
I. Time of digging
If planting is to be done at the onset of monsoon, the pits should be preferably dug during
the end of previous monsoon or in winter. In heavy rainfalls, planting can be done after the
monsoon so that the young plants are not affected by water-logging.
2. Size and soil mixture for preparation of pit
Size of the pit varies with the root system of the fruit plants. In general, pits having 1x1x1
metre size are dug for planting of fruit trees. These pits are exposed to sunlight for fifteen days.
The pits are then filled with a mixture of soil and well prepared farmyard manure.
Farmyard manure should be well decomposed. A mixture of three baskets of farm yard
manure, on basket of sand and enough top soil dug out from the pit should be used to fill two
third of the pit. This mixture can be added with 50g of BHC (10%) dust and 250g of single
superphosphate. Mix the entire material thoroughly and fill 2/3 of the pit.
3. Materials for digging
The implements and materials required for digging and filling the pits are: (a) pick axe,
(b) spade, (c) basket, (d) farmyard manure, (e) BHC powder (10%), (f) single superphosphate,
(g) measuring tape, (h) rope, (i) sand, and (j) pegs and stakes.
4. Procedure for digging
The following procedure is adopted for digging the pits:
a. Measure tree area;
b. Locate the spots for digging pits with the help of pegs;
c. Dig one cubic metre size pits using pick axe, spade, etc;
d. Dig the pits preferably at least 3-4 weeks before planting;
e. Mix the dugout surface soil with three baskets of farm yard manure and one basket of
sand;
 f. Spread 50gm BHC (10%) dust and 250gm of single super phosphate over the soil –FYM
-sand heap;
g. Mix the entire material thoroughly; and
h. Put the soil mixture into the pit and fill up to 2/3 of its height.
F. Procedure of planting
The planting, with its root intact within the mud ball, should be placed in the middle of
the pit. Soil should be put in the pit from all sides making it a little higher than the ground level.
While planting, care should be taken to keep the raft or land joint well above the surface of the
soil. The plant should be planted as deep as they stood in the nursery. For better contact of root
with the soil around, the soil should be pressed well and irrigated immediately. The plant should
be staked with any support to \protect them from being damaged by strong winds.
IX. Plant Care
After planting, the fruit grower has to ensure the optimum growth of saplings. He should
pay attention to soil management, intercropping, management, manuring, intercultural '"
operations and horticultural practices such as pruning and training.
A. Why care is needed for young plants?
Young plants needs care due to the following reasons.
l. Young plants are soft and tender and are easily affected by diseases.
2.They may break or bend at the point of graft union.
3.They are easily infected by insects and pests.
4.Root system of saplings may be injured due to faulty intercultural operations,
5.Proper training of young plants at early stages will give good shape to plants.
6. Fruit trees being perennial, their future growth depends on the care given at early stages.
B. Soil management
Soil management consists mainly of the conservation of soil, moisture, and fertility and
improvement of the physical, chemical and biological properties of soil. These are achieved
easily by deep tillage and manuring before every monsoon during the first five years of
plantation.
C. Agronomic practices
Following are the agronomic practices which should be carried out in an orchard till it is
established.
1.Cover cropping
Any crop grown (preferably legumes) in between the planted saplings to form a cover for
he soil is called cover crop. It preserves soil and moisture, suppresses weeds and supplies organic
materials to the soil.
2. Intercropping
While the trees are young and non bearing, :hey do not need all the ground space in the
orchard. Therefore, it is advantageous to grow seasonal crops between rows of fruit trees.
intercropping has several advantages:
1. We get substantial income by intercropping;
2. Through intercropping, we can keep the orchard clean;
3. Intercropping with legumes enriches the soil; and
4. All operations such as ploughing, harrowing, etc. are beneficial to the trees.
3. Green manuring
Addition of' green leaves and succulent stems help to increase the soil fertility. This may
be carried out either by ploughing or by incorporating into the soil green manure crops grown in
the orchard or bought from outside.
4. Weeding
If none of the above mentioned agronomic practices are followed weeding may be
necessary. However, the time and frequency of weeding depends on the extent and intensity of
weed growth.
D: Water management
Water management here means making available sufficient quantity of water to the
saplings or draining out the excess water till the saplings are well established.
Plants get water mainly through irrigation or .by water conservation practices. Whereas
excess of water can be drained out by adopting any of the methods of drainage, the frequency of
irrigation and the quantity of water given during each irrigation depends on methods of
irrigation, type of soil, size of the plant and atmospheric condition including rainfall. If there is
water scarcity, earthen pot irrigation is the most suitable method for saplings.
E. Manures and fertilizers
 Regular manuring and fertilization is necessary for the proper growth of saplings. Their
quantity, methods and times of application vary with the kinds of fruit trees and the level of soil
fertility. Generally, these are applied at the beginning and end of rainy season.
F. Plant protection
Saplings need special protection from possible attack of pests and diseases till they are
established in the field. The grower must acquire sufficient knowledge about the common pests
and diseases of the type of trees he grows and take preventive measures.
G. Watching
The grower himself and the watchman should visit every sapling in the field at least twice
a week during the first few months of plantation. Later, they may reduce the frequency of th.eir
visits. During these visits they should observe the condition of each sapling carefully and take
appropriate measure immediately to solve any problem. Watching regularly is, perhaps, the most
important practice for the success of (lrchard establishment.
H. Training and pruning
The fruit trees should be trained into a proper shape and size according to their types and
varieties during the first few years of plantation. Pruning means cutting off branches at
appropriate positions to encourage regrowth and fruiting or to remove unwanted portions of a
plant. The grower should adopt methods of pruning and training suitable to various kinds of fruit
trees.
I. Gap filling
Despite the best care given to the saplings in the orchard, a few of them are likely to die
due to various reasons in the first year and gaps occur in the rows. These gaps should be filled at
the end of first year with plants of the same age and variety. Gaps should be filled even at the
end of second year if they occur and make sure that the orchard is having sufficient number of
trees.
J. Flowering and fruiting
Time of flowering and fruiting varies with the kinds of fruit trees, their varieties and the
method of propagation adopted. Vegetatively propagated trees start bearing in the second year
onwards, whereas trees from seeds take longer period. No fruit tree should be allowed to flower
and fruit before it has grown to sufficient size and strength. Till then all the flowers should be
removed as soon as they appear. Generally fruiting should be allowed only after 5-6 years of
plantation. Special care is needed for trees during the first few years of fruiting.
X. Economics of Orchard
Some guidelines for calculating the economics of orchard plantation and maintenance are
given below. The rates for various items differ from
place to place and should be taken into account while calculating the economics.
A. Fixed expenditure
1.The cost of land Rs
2.The cost of land clearing
3.The cost of land levelling Rs .
4.The cost of road/ path construction Rs
5. The cost of fencing/ walling Rs
6. The cost of building, store, etc. Rs.
7. The cost of permanent irrigation channel Rs
8. The cost of laying out Rs
9. The cost of digging pits Rs
10.The cost of saplings Rs
11. The cost of planting wind breaks Rs.
B. Recurring expenditure till commercial bearing
1. Clearing Weeds Rs
2. Irrigation Rs.
3. Manuring/Fertilization Rs.
4. Spraying pesticides Rs
5. Ploughing, digging, etc. Rs.
6. Harrowing Rs
7. Repair of fencing Rs
8. Pruning and training Rs
9. Compost making Rs
C. Recurring expenditure after fruiting
The above named. items plus. the following.
10. Pruning Rs
 11. Thinning of fruit Rs
12. Harvesting Rs.
13. Transporting Rs
14. Storing Rs
15. Ten per cent interest on fixed expenditure Rs
16. Rent on the land Rs .
17. Salary of watchman Rs
18. Crop insurance Rs
D. Income
1. Income from fruits Rs
2. Income from intercrops Rs
3. Income from firewood Rs
4. Income from by-products if any Rs.
5. Income from grass leaves, etc. Rs.
The net profit is calculated based on the recurring expenditure after the fruiting has
begun. Till fruiting, intercropping should be done.
Conclusion
After making a high investment in establishing an orchard, it is necessary to pay attention
to each and every detail involved in orchard layout and management. This will minimize the
costs of production and bring dividends to the orchard owner.