How to Plant a Home Orchard

Steps:

1. Clear out a large area to plant your trees where they will receive full sunlight.
2. Use flags to map out the location of the trees. They should be roughly 15 feet apart.
3. With each tree in place, draw a circle around the root ball that is roughly 2-3 times larger in diameter.
4. Move the tree and begin to dig out the hole using spade shovels.
5. Uncover the root flare on the tree, which will likely be below the soil ball line.Measure the height of the root ball to the root flare, and dig your receiving hole to that depth.Use a measuring tape to make the measurement accurate.
6. Put the tree into the hole and tease the roots to encourage outward growth.
7. Backfill the hole with mix of compost, new top soil, and removed soil.
8. Give the roots a solid drink of water and keep the tree well-watered for a few weeks until the roots are established.
9. Insert three 2-inch round posts into the ground around the tree and tie the plastic chain to the posts and around the tree. This will give the tree stability until the roots are established.
10. Place a hardware cloth around the lower part of the tree trunk to keep animals out.