Planning a New Orchard
Planting? Don't forget your soil!
Just as you have to plan well in advance to order trees and posts
for a new orchard planting, take the time to plan your soil management.
Whether it is a replant location or a new orchard location now,
when the soil is bare is the time to make improvements. Or perhaps
it is better to think of it as maintenance - similar to the maintenance
that you would do on your tractors or farm trucks.
| Time of orchard planting |
Maintenance required |
| Orchards to be planted in fall 2014: full pre-plant
preparation year |
To do this spring:
- Soil sample - fertility and pH
- Apply fertilizer and lime if needed based upon soil test
- Soil sample - nematodes (once soils are 50 F so anytime
now)
- Review nematode test results - options for suppression
if needed include biofumigation with cover crops or chemical
fumigation
- Opportunity to add organic matter to build soil and enhance
soil structure - use manure or compost
To do early summer:
- Plant a cover crop to take advantage of the nitrogen
from the manure or compost and to build soil structure with
living roots. Eg. Sorghum sudan, pearl millet - something
with fast growth
|
| Orchards to be planted in fall 2014: with short
season crop this summer (eg. vegetables or soybeans) |
To do this spring:
- Soil sample - fertility and pH
- Apply fertilizer and lime if needed based upon soil test
- Soil sample - nematodes (once soils are 50 F so anytime
now)
- Review nematode test results - options for suppression
if needed include biofumigation with cover crops or chemical
fumigation ( allow for time for this between crop harvest
and tree planting)
- Very short season crop ie zucchini may allow time for
a short season cover crop to build soil structure eg buckwheat
or cover crop radish/oats
- Hope your soil organic matter levels are adequate, manure
application really is not an option if you are growing vegetables
this summer.
|
| Orchards to be planted in spring 2015 |
To do this spring:
- Soil sample - fertility and pH
- Apply fertilizer and lime if needed based upon soil test
(better to apply a year in advance for P, K and lime)
- Soil sample - nematodes (knowing this now allows you the
summer and fall to work to reduce populations)
- Review nematode test results - options for suppression
if needed include biofumigation with cover crops or chemical
fumigation
- Opportunity to add organic matter to build soil and enhance
soil structure - use manure or compost
To do early summer:
- Plant a cover crop to take advantage of the nitrogen from
the manure or compost and to build soil structure with living
roots. Eg mustard for biofumigation or sorghum sudan or
pearl millet for biomass return
To do fall 2014:
- Plant a fall cover crop like rye to provide ground cover
over winter
- If nematodes were high in spring - re-sample
|
| Orchards to be planted in fall 2015 or later |
To do this spring
- Soil sample - fertility and pH
- Apply fertilizer and lime if needed based upon soil test
- Soil sample - nematodes (once soils are 50 F so anytime
now)
- Review nematode test results - options for suppression
if needed include biofumigation with cover crops or chemical
fumigation ( allow for time for this between crop harvest
and tree planting)
To do fall 2014
- Opportunity to add organic matter to build soil and enhance
soil structure - use manure or compost
- Plant a fall cover crop like rye to provide ground cover
over winter
- If nematodes were high in spring - re-sample
|
Insert cover crops where possible to build soil organic matter
reserves, build soil structure and enhance soil water holding ability
and drainage. Enhance drainage where needed and plan for water flow
in the orchard.
