Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
practices. Forest soils and soils found in the American grasslands and Cana-
dian Prairies often have naturally high concentrations of organic matter.
Measure organic matter before planting and every 2 years or so afterward
to establish references or benchmarks. These benchmarks allow you to
design soil-building programs and monitor the effects of your orchard man-
agement practices. Ideally, a new orchard site will have organic matter con-
centrations roughly between 3 and 5 percent, but do not be overly concerned
if your site comes in higher or lower than that range.
Irrigation
Water is both a blessing and a curse for fruit growers. Trees obviously need
water in order to survive, but excess water contributes to soil erosion, tree
diseases, and generally poor fruit production.
The amount of irrigation water that you need depends on climate, soil,
crop, tree size, and training practices. In the arid American West and parts of
western Canada, frequent irrigation may be needed, particularly in orchards
on light-textured (sandy) soils. In eastern North America, there is often less
need for irrigation, and, indeed, you can often find domestic fruit trees grow-
ing wild with no irrigation. For optimum crop production and tree health,
however, some irrigation is typically needed, even in high rainfall areas. Even
short periods of drought stress during the growing season can reduce the
number of fruits that develop and fruit size, as well as make trees more vul-
nerable to insect pests. Irrigation during the planting year is usually critical
to getting your trees to survive and develop strong roots and tops.
Before investing in land or large amounts of planting stock and other
establishment costs, estimate how much water you will need for irrigation
during peak usage. It is difficult to make a general recommendation on the
amount of irrigation water needed because it depends on many variables. If
you are planning a large planting, your best strategy will be to consult local
fruit growers, horticultural consultants, or university and governmental fruit
specialists for their advice. In general, plan to replace the same amount of
water that is lost due to evaporation as determined from evaporation pan
