Fruit Trees Planting Distances

Give a garden, regardless of how small the space is, a practical side, too, by planting fruit trees because, in their absence, your oasis behind the house would be incomplete. Not only do they give you crops in summer or fall, but they also carry that satisfying feeling somehow signifying that you are putting down roots of a more permanent nature.  Fruit trees can be a valuable addition for those that are trying to be more responsible for growing their own food and requires much less maintenance than an annual garden. And since we have touched on this topic before, we will now tackle fruit trees planting distances.

But before looking into that, here is a useful piece of information you may need if you are after finding how many trees exactly you can plant on a given land plot so you don’t waste space, while making sure you don’t overcrowd the garden at the same time. The best answer is given my some simple calculations. So, in order to know how many fruit trees you can plant on a perimeter, just divide the total surface of the plot where you plan to plant the trees to the ideal area a tree needs to properly grow, namely 4X4 meters. For instance, if you have a 1,000 square meter garden, then this land can be used to grow 1,000/16=62.5 – 62 fruit trees in optimal spacing conditions.

With this simple math we have also found out the average distance between fruit trees, namely 4 meters, with small variations depending on the species. For instance, fruit trees with larger tops, such as nut trees or cherry trees, need at least 5 meters between them when planted. Apple trees, pear trees, peach trees, apricot trees, plum trees and sour cherry trees need 4X4 meters, with the first figure designating the distance between the rows and the second referring to the actual distance between the trees.

The distance can be shorter, experts say, if the trees are planted along a fence which has an East-West orientation. At the same time, the distance can also be shortened if the fruit trees receive regular care or the soil has a low fertility. And since we mentioned the fence, EU laws also regulate the distance a fruit tree should be planted from a property separating fence: two meters for small trees and three meters for tall trees and large tops.