Setting Up A Productive Orchard
Developing an orchard is a long term investment and should be regarded it with extra caution. The waiting period sometimes takes one, for several years to wait before the plant bears fruit.
You should understand that whatever profitable fruit variety you are going to plant you should always choose for the right planting materials although it’s quite expensive compared to the ordinary kind but it’s worth it in the long run.
To shorten the waiting period for fruit harvest, one should opt for grafted or marcoted fruit trees instead of the traditional seed propagation where the waiting period is much longer.
Fruit trees are just like any other crops need care and attention. You need to adequately nourish them with organic fertilizer and protect them from pesky vines that usually choked the trees resulting in mortality.
Getting the right planting materials is just one of the recommendations for successful production of fruit trees. Equally important is the sustained care by the grower to his plants after planting them.
You need to observe the components of taking care in growing of your fruit trees. The chosen variety should be adaptable to the climate where your farm is located. If the place is rainy and humid, avoid planting a fruit variety that does not suit to this kind of climate because it will not perform very well.
It will probably grow big but then it will not bear fruit as compared to the place with well defined wet and dry season. Proper distancing should always be adhered to in the planting of fruit trees to avoid overlapping of its branches which will not bear as much fruits as those with adequate space.
If the trees are too close to each other they tend to grow tall where harvesting can be difficult due to reach and accessibility aside that air circulation is obstructed and the crowded condition are favorite breeding grounds of destructive pests. Organic fertilizer or a handful of ammonium phosphate (16-20-0) maybe applied in each hole during its planting.
Provisions of adequate moisture should be observed at all times. They should be provided with enough drainage to avoid water logging or ponding on the area. Accordingly, drainage canals is to be provided when the growing area is flat.
If the planting area is sloping, one should see to it that moisture is retained around the root zone. A flattened portion around the base of the tree is recommended with organic matter or compost be added to the planting hole to help retain the moisture.
As an orchard owner, one should closely monitor the young planted trees and should visit them regularly at least once in a week. If there’s mortality, they should be replaced immediately and find out the cause of mortality and try to avoid it.
The taking care of fruit trees includes judicious pruning, remove the weak and unnecessary branches, especially those inside and below the crown. Those weak and crowded branches will only make the trees unproductive.
Many fruit trees are sensitive to too much as well as too little water, especially during summer. They should be given enough moisture and fertilizer throughout the year. Installing a drip irrigation is one good alternative, it requires a big investment though it can be recoverable in due time.
Sustained fertilizer is necessary to keep the plants healthy and be more resistant to disease.You can fertilize your fruit trees through the soil as well as through the leaves. Applying vermicompost or processed animal manure and spraying with vermitea is now becoming popular and the cheap way of fertilizing your orchard.
Hence, if you intend to set up an orchard,make sure that you don’t leave everything to mother nature. Foremost, fruit trees need your care and attention all throughout the years so that in return they will reward you with bountiful and luscious fruits from your orchard.