Autumn is well underway in the northern hemisphere and like most creatures in nature I’m fast at work preparing for winter. The cooling temperatures and increased precipitation make autumn the perfect time to plant trees and perennials in the garden. This is exactly how I’ve been spending much of my time since the seasonal shift.

In late august I sowed a large cover crop patch of dutch white clover west of the garden rows. It’s grown quite well and already started to break up the clay-like soil, convert nitrogen, and lure back earthworms. After just a few weeks I noticed a substantial difference in the quality of the soil. In this same area, my neighbor has a large mature apricot tree that droops over the pasture fence into my yard. The new cover crop clover field makes this location the perfect place to plant a small backyard orchard. I was given an apple and cherry tree for my birthday, so into the clover patch they went at sunset on the Fall Equinox.

Fruit Trees + Cover Crops

A soil-regenerative gardening method involves the use of cover crops. The benefits of using clover as my ground cover in my orchard are vast. It’s a legume, so it will provide the trees with continual nutrients in the soil. The root system is also strong and deep. They wont compete with the trees, rather they’ll improve drainage by keeping the soil structure light and fluffy. The clover blossoms will attract pollinators while the leaves work as a living green mulch that retains moisture longer. The clover needs significantly less supplemental watering than lawn, but will still thrive when I flood water my rows and orchard. It will also grow about eight inches high which will create perfect habitats for a variety of insect life, thus increasing the biodiversity.

As I planted the cherry and apple trees, visions of summers-to-come drifted through my mind like the heralding autumn breeze. I see myself, one day, resting in the cool clover under their canopies on a hot day between spurts of weeding the veggie rows. Later, I’ll walk the path from house to orchard, barefoot with basket in hand, to pluck and nibble at the sun ripened gems. Harvest dinners will meet their crescendo as I cut and plate slices of fruit pies for eager bellies. The dreams continue for countless more scenarios. It’s hard to say exactly what the future holds, but I’m casting a spell for slow simple moments just like those as I home these trees into the earth.

I plan to leave the high hanging fruit for the birds so I can watch them engorge and flitter from branch to branch as fall transitions into winter. The notion of allowing birds to eat fruits from your orchard is quite the contrary from what you’d typically hear from a farmer (or even an avid gardener) these days. But I view these endeavors differently. I aim to co-create with nature. I aim to welcome wildlife and share in the abundance. After all, in a healthy wild garden ecosystem, the birds are much more interested in foraging for insects than fruit. All the better if they prey on pests in my garden. Furthermore, even if they do nibble from my orchard, I’m not growing a cash crop, I’m feeding my family and rewilding this land. This land is ours to share equally.

This is one of the things I love most about co-creating with nature, dreaming as I work, about how this land will evolve overtime. Wondering how many bellies, and whom, these plants will nourish, as well as all the wildlife that will be beckoned to come here and nest with me and mine. My role in rewilding this land is to simply create the right environment for nature to do her magic. A little bit of the right work now will pay off one hundred fold for many generations to come.

Installing a regenerative orchard is a process that requires a foundation of knowledge. It would be foolhardy to plant any ol’e fruit tree in any ol’e patch of land, so I’m sharing some of my best master gardener tips to help you learn how to plant fruit trees.

How to select a fruit tree for your garden

1.Select a fruit you love

Start by considering what fruits you love to eat. This may sound obvious, but fruit trees can be a lot of work. Some apple varieties are best for eating raw while others are best for baking. It’s imperative to research each specific variety to know what fruit you’ll have growing in your garden for the next 20-100 years. It’s best to be sure you love the fruit otherwise this project will become a pain.

2. Consider size + location

Fruit trees come in three different sizes; standard, semi-dwarf, and dwarf. It depends on the fruit tree and it’s genetic variety, but standard fruit trees are usually between 25-50 feet tall and about 25-30 feet wide. Imagine trying to prune or pick cherries from a tree that size. Consider if that size fits into your landscape, the shade it will create at maturity, and the fruit it will drop.

Semi-dwarf trees are medium sized; they’re usually 15-20 feet tall and about 15 feet wide. Dwarf varieties are the smallest, making them excellent for limited spaces because they’ll grow to be 10-15 feet tall and about 10 feet wide. Dwarf varieties are much easier to manage for the average gardener and most of the fruit or branches can be accessed from a 6ft tall ladder.

Fruit trees need a wide open area of well draining soil where they’ll get full sun. Their pollination rates are dramatically increased if (at maturity) the edges of their branches kiss the branches of another compatible flowering tree.

3. Understand pollination requirements

There are two types of fruit trees: self-pollinating and non-self pollinating. Many trees cannot produce fruit from their own pollen and are considered self-unfruitful. These plants require cross-pollination for fruit to form. Cross-pollination is the transfer of pollen from one tree to the flower of a genetically different tree or variety.

Non-self pollinating
Some fruit trees, like many apple and cherry trees, require a second tree of the same species, but a different variety, in order to successfully become pollinated. They need to be within 100 feet of each other because that’s about the maximum distance a pollinator would likely fly directly from one tree to the other. For example the bing cherry tree I planted is non-self pollinating. I’ll need to plant another cherry tree of a different variety (Rainier is compatible as well as Sam, Van, Montmorency, or Stella cherry) in order to actually have cherries to harvest. If a neighbor has a compatible fruit tree then planting one tree is just fine. If not, then planting two is necessary.
Self-pollinating
The Pettingill apple tree I planted is a self-pollinating variety. That means that the tree produces flowers with pollen and ovules that are compatible with one another so I don’t need another apple tree nearby. However, even though my apple tree is self-pollinating, my nearby crabapple tree will serve as a strong pollination booster. Good pollination on fruit trees is important because it impacts the fruit size and development, as well as the density of the harvest.

4. Know the maintenance + needs

Before taking home a fruit tree from the nursery, I encourage gardeners to research the specifics for tree varieties. In addition to sizing, pollination and fruit characteristics, some trees require a cold period of a certain temperature during the dormant season. Other fruit trees cannot withstand extremely cold winters. It’s also a good idea to understand the pruning requirements, fertilizing, and pest protection methods for each fruit tree species.

5. Identify the graft + plant properly

Most fruit trees are grafted. The roots and trunk base are a stock fruit tree of the same species. Everything above the graft contains the genetics of a specific fruit tree variety. It’s becoming more common to see apple trees at nurseries with multiple apple varieties grafted onto one tree, (i.e. fuji and honeycrisp). The graft is placed low on the trunk, just above the soil and root system. It looks like a knuckle in the trunk. The graft must be above ground when planted, otherwise the tree will suffocate and die. Follow these steps for proper fruit tree planting to ensure your new fruit tree successfully grows. Autumn is the best time to plant trees, but early spring after the last hard frost is also a good time.

10 Steps to Planting Fruit Trees

Measure and stake the location. Read the spacing requirements outlined on the tree tag to ensure trees are spaced properly.
Dig a hole 3x the size of the root ball.
Measure the depth and use a stake to measure the final height of the hole. Make sure that the soil mark on the tree trunk is at the same spot after planting.
Add compost and fruit tree fertilizer to the bottom of the hole. The roots will need soft soil to grow down through.
Position the tree steak just off center, then place the tree in the hole. If the roots are root bound (growing in a circle) you’ll need to gently loosen them and spread them out. Skipping this step could kill the tree.
Backfill the hole with soil and compost.
Gently press the root ball into place with foot + build up a curb around the diameter of the hole.
Secure the tree steak to the trunk with stretchy bands. Do not use material that won't stretch.
Layer on mulch or sow a cover crop. A cover crop is a regenerative method that will provide added benefits to the tree.
Water deeply. Establishing fruit trees will need to be kept moist at the lower root system for the first year.
In the spring, prune the branches to establish the shape of a satellite. This shape means the tree will be open in the middle to capture the sun and all branches growing on the underside of larger branches should be removed.