How to Choose a Peach Orchard Site

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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As with all kinds of fruit trees, finding a spot for a peach orchard involves some forward thinking about the best physical environment for growing. A few essential tips will ensure that your peach orchard's yield won't be limited by poor choices of location.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Step1

Find good soils. The prime element in an orchard site is soil with good drainage. Poorly draining soils cause numerous problems like decay due to standing water. You'll want to find good, dry, porous earth to grow your trees in.

Step2

Make sure they will get frost time. Peaches in particular, along with a few other fruits, are well-known for needing a certain amount of "frost time." Experts recommend up to 2000 hours of "chilling" during the dormant season in order to get a good growing start in the warm season. Your chilling results are affected by the lay of the land and the elevation of your orchard.

Step3

Get adequate space away from infrastructure. Buildings and pavement can squeeze your trees, and other trees can compete for water and light. Set aside a good space for your peach orchard to get the best results.

Step4

Think about wildlife. Some free-roaming animal and insect species can destroy a peach crop. Consider how your trees will be protected from "predators." There are also insects like the peach borer that can damage your fruit. You may need to apply some pesticides to your trees depending on what conditions are nearby.

Step5

Facilitate irrigation. Despite the negative impact of standing water, your peach orchard will probably need to be irrigated substantially over the growing season. Make sure the orchard site is situated to that it's easy to get water in for irrigation purposes.