Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
to the tree roots and also keep the foliage and fruit dry. Drip systems do not,
however, allow you to irrigate an alley crop and do not necessarily work well
for in-row cover crops. How you choose to manage your orchard floor will
influence how much water you need for irrigation.
For organic orchardists, microsprinklers provide a good compromise
between overhead sprinklers and drip systems. You can irrigate your trees,
alley crops, and cover crops at one time while keeping the canopy dry. Spe-
cially designed microsprinklers can also be used to provide frost protection,
depending on the size of your trees.
Once you have determined how much water you need, ensure that you
can legally access that amount of water at the times that you will need it.
Water rights vary greatly from one area to another. Do not assume that you
can access the surface water on or adjacent to your property, or use well wa-
ter drawn from your property for irrigating an orchard. Also, determine how
much it will cost you to access the water.
Identify surface waters and wetlands on and around your property. While
they can be assets, they can also create legal problems. Depending on your
location, national, state, and provincial environmental laws relating to wet-
lands and surface waters can limit what crops you grow on your property
and what management practices you use.
Topography
Topography has a huge influence on where tree fruit crops are grown com-
mercially. You may have noticed that the best commercial orchards are often
located on slopes and benches above valley floors. Such sites generally offer
good water drainage and allow cold, frosty air to flow away from the orch-
ards. Fruit trees produce best in sunny locations, and a good site will provide
full sun throughout the day.
