Preparing or Upgrading Your Orchard Site - Growing Organic Orchard Fruits - page 95

Soils are critically important in organic systems because they impact not
only tree health and productivity; they also affect beneficial organisms that
are keystones in our pest and disease control programs. The soil is, quite lit-
erally, the foundation of your orchard. If you don't get the soil right, not much
else you do will matter. All organic systems emphasize healthy, biologically
active soils that:
▪ Are moist but well drained
▪ Have good soil structure (tilth)
▪ Contain adequate organic matter
▪ Have appropriate pH for the crop
▪ Contain optimum amounts of nutrients
▪ Maintain optimum temperature
To prepare or upgrade your orchard, you will need to develop healthy soils.
This is accomplished by identifying and correcting any drainage problems,
setting soil standards, establishing the right pH and salinity levels for your
soil, adding the appropriate amendments to your soil, and controlling weeds
and pests. In chapter 9 ➔ , we will go into detail about how to maintain
healthy soils after your trees are established.
The following sections provide guidance on preparing a new orchard site
for planting or upgrading an established orchard site. The steps are:
1. Correct drainage problems across the orchard site.
2. Stake out the orchard planting blocks, roads, buffer strips, and non-
crop areas.
3. Test your soil, and set soil standards.
4. Adjust mineral nutrients.
5. Add organic and other amendments, if necessary.