A Guide to Fruit Tree Spacing in an Orchard or at Home

I have been planting up some new semi dwarf trees in our orchard. Which got me thinking: proper fruit tree spacing is something I really want to make sure you get right in your garden from the start! 

When planting out other garden plants, such as tomatoes, spacing is important, but not as critical as spacing out trees. You can always change things from season to season when you are growing annuals, but with perennials, especially trees, they are going to stay where you plant them forever!

I’m going to share how professional orchardists determine fruit tree spacing so you can properly space your trees and Grow Bigger in your home garden or orchard!

Planting Trees For Our Future

I am passionate about preserving rare and heirloom plants! From heirloom vegetable seeds to rare heirloom apples, there are so many amazing varieties with cultural significance and genetic importance. Sadly, this biodiversity is slowly being lost over time.

That is why we recently purchased a farm and started planting a new orchard that will be home to over 30 heirloom peach varieties, 40 pear varieties, 700 rare and endangered apple varieties, and so much more! We also launched Adopt An Heirloom Fruit Tree, so you can join our efforts to preserve heirloom heritage fruit trees! 

Benefits of Proper Fruit Tree Spacing

How you space out your fruit trees is so important! Proper fruit tree spacing will give you all these benefits and more:

• Good Airflow - Proper airflow can improve plant health by reducing diseases and mildew, controlling humidity, and strengthening the tree.

• Proper Sun Exposure - This allows sunlight to ripen the fruit and improves photosynthesis.

• Less Competition for Resources - Trees planted too close together must compete with each other for precious water and nutrients.

• Pollination - Pollinators can more easily find flowers when the trees aren’t crowded.

• Easier Management - Spraying dormant oil, fertilizing fruit trees, pruning fruit trees, and other tree care tasks are much easier when the trees are properly spaced.

• Easier Harvesting - Trying to harvest fruit from trees that are crowded together is not a fun job! Do yourself a favor and use proper fruit tree spacing to make harvesting easier and more enjoyable.

What Is Rootstock And Why Does It Matter

Most commercially available fruit trees contain fruiting wood that has been grafted onto the rootstock of a different variety, resulting in a single new tree. When purchasing fruit trees, it is essential to understand key terms like rootstock and scionwood. 

The scionwood is a cutting of fruiting wood taken from a desirable fruit tree. It becomes the upper portion of the new tree after grafting. Scionwood determines the characteristics of fruit and foliage that will be on the new tree. 

The rootstock is the lower portion of the tree that will develop into the established root system. The rootstock will determine the tree’s other characteristics, such as mature size, disease resistance, drought resistance, and yield.

There is no standard spacing for planting apple trees, for example, because the rootstock, not the type of fruit tree, determines the mature size. The rootstock of your tree will be the determining factor of the spacing you need when planting fruit trees. 

Reputable sellers will disclose the rootstock of the grafted fruit trees you are buying. (Maple Valley Orchards in Wisconsin and Trees of Antiquity are two great sources for buying fruit trees.)

Pro-Tip: Did you know that you can collect scionwood to graft fruit trees yourself instead of buying them? Click on the links to learn more. 

How Much Space Does a Tree Require

You should determine fruit tree spacing based on these criteria:

• Growth Habit - A tree’s growth habit is the height, width, and shape that the tree will grow to. 

• Tree Management - Plan ahead and consider how you will manage your trees and rows! You may want to leave extra space between your trees to allow tractors or other equipment to easily move between the tree rows. 

Sizes of Mature Fruit Trees

You really need to know the growth habit of the trees you are planting because it is essential to provide your young trees with the space they will need at maturity! The three main growth habits of fruit trees are dwarf, semi-dwarf, and conventional. 

Dwarf trees are very attractive to home gardeners because they stay small, allowing you to plant more trees in a smaller area and maintain them more easily. The downside of dwarf trees is that they typically have a 5 to 8-year shorter lifespan than a semi-dwarf or conventional tree.

Semi-dwarf fruit trees will be capped at a 10 to 15-foot-tall mature height because of their rootstock. They still fit better in a home garden and are easier to manage than conventional trees, and usually have a longer lifespan than dwarfs. 

Conventional rootstock trees have not been grafted, so they will continue to grow and grow until they reach their biological potential. For an apple tree, that might be a 25-foot-wide span and 35 feet tall. 

Ideal Fruit Tree Spacing

To plant your trees as efficiently and closely as possible, follow the chart below. Make sure you don’t plant them any closer than 7 feet on all sides, even with dwarf fruit trees. Allow enough space so that when all the trees are fully mature, they can grow to their full potential without touching or smashing into each other. 

I recommend planting fruit trees in several smaller rows to form a grid, rather than a single long row. All fruit trees will do better in a block because it allows for better pollination.

Protecting Young Fruit Trees

Don’t forget to protect your investment by using tree guards and keeping pest animals like deer out of your garden and orchard. 

I hope you enjoyed this blog post and learned something new today!