Orchards Can Be Profitable, Good Management Is the Key

By Harold Fogle and Miklos Faust.

Orcharding is more intensive than many other cropping systems. Under ideal situations, good livings are made on some fruit farms of about 20 acres.

However, orcharding requires a location suitable for fruit trees, and heavy initial investment in land preparation, equipment, nursery trees and in planting and caring for the young trees with little return for three to seven years.

Heavy demands are placed on the operator to get maintenance operations (pest control, weed control, pruning, fertilization, irrigation) done on a timely basis, to find a profitable outlet for the fruit, to have adequate labor available to thin and harvest the fruit at the proper times, and to keep abreast of new varieties, control practices, planting systems and marketing practices.

About 20 acres is a minimum orchard unit if no other enterprises supplement the orchard income. The requirement for, and investment in, machinery and supplies will be about the same whether 2 or 20 acres of fruit are grown. If the machinery can be adapted to other enterprises, can be shared with other orchardists or rented, or if custom services are readily available, a smaller orchard unit may be practical.

The decision to operate a small orchard should be based on careful analysis of local costs and expected returns from the orchard as a complement to other enterprises. Thought must be given to minimize conflicts in timing of harvesting and maintenance operations.

As with other perennial crops, certain areas of the United States are more subject to risks such as low temperature damage to trees, inadequate fruit set due to spring frosts, damage to developing fruits and trees by hail, wind, and rain, inadequate moisture or too cool temperatures for growing large fruit or fruit which matures at the proper time.

The Great Plains areas generally are poorly adapted to fruit growing because of low temperatures and lack of sufficient summer rainfall. Most northern states are subject to occasional winter freezes and spring frosts which reduce the chances of annual crops. In the Deep South, certain fruits and specific varieties of other fruits may not receive sufficient winter-chilling to blossom and put forth leaves properly.

Any prospective orchardist should first look for successful orchards in the immediate area. If there are none, do not consider an orchard unless you can determine that you have an exceptionally good site. For example, in northern areas a site on the windward side of a large lake may escape low temperature extremes while this moderating effect is not generally felt in the immediate surroundings.

Several years of records of minimum temperatures as close to the proposed site as possible should be observed. If winter temperatures often drop to 22 F (-30 C), no fruit should be grown in the area. If temperatures fall below 13 F (-25 C) in some years, probably peaches, plums, nectarines, and apricots will be thinned and may suffer tree damage. A site which seldom has temperature below -4 F (-20 C) should be sought.

Marketing possibilities may determine what kind of fruit can be grown profitably in an orchard. In an established fruit-growing area, several options may be available. Commercial wholesale outlets for fresh fruit marketing, canning, freezing, or other processing uses may be readily available. Close to large population centers, an attractive fruit stand or pick-your-own and rent-a-tree orchards may be feasible.

You should carefully analyze the total requirements of one or more such operations before deciding on the appropriate outlet. For each type of operation, rather specific requirements in spaces, facilities and temperament are needed.

Another critical decision which must be made before planting is whether to grow only one fruit type or a mix of several types. For fruit stand or pick-your-own operations, usually a number of fruit types as well as several vegetable and berry types would be indicated. Pick-your-own would require several varieties of one or more fruit types. Some growers might prefer a concentrated harvesting season of only one type for wholesaling.

Risk of a complete crop failure is reduced as you grow more types of fruit because of differences in hardiness and in blossoming and harvesting periods.

Apples and some plums bloom later and are hardier to winter freezes than other fruit types. You might be limited to these fruits in areas subject to early frosts.

Peaches, nectarines, cherries, and pears blossom several days earlier, varying with location. Apricots and Japanese plums bloom even earlier and require sites with greater freedom from frost.

If other factors seem favorable for growing fruit, the critical decision of specific sites for the fruit plantings must be faced. Commercial experience in the local area should be followed in selecting sites for the various types.

Even though an eastern site might seem relatively frost-free, do not plant nectarines in preference to apples, because the Brown Rot fungus damages nectarines in high-rainfall areas. Draw on the experience of the nearest Experiment Station and the advice of your county Extension agent in making the decisions.

Soil type usually should be a sandy loam. Clay soils often are subject to poor water drainage. All fruit types are susceptible to "wet feet."

If steep slopes are involved to get the necessary air drainage for frost control, you need to control erosion with contour planting and maintenance of sod.

Previous use of the site is important. Crops such as tomatoes, potatoes, and melons favor buildup of harmful nematodes and wilt fungi. Newly cleared forest land may be infested with root-rotting organisms which also attack some fruit species.