and are not too stony or likely to erode badly, It is advisable 

 to build up the soil by seeding and plowing or disking under 

 cover crops before planting trees. Spring oats, buckwheat, 

 or millet can be sown as the summer cover crop and spring 

 oats for the winter cover crop. This is an opportune time to 

 apply lime because it can be incorporated into the soil during 

 the disking of the cover crops. 



When the trees are planted, a mixture of grass seed and 

 oats can be sown. During the summer, the oats can be cut 

 and let lie or be raked around the trees for mulch. 



On a fairly level site which is not subjected to serious 

 erosion, it may be possible to interplant with low growing 

 crops such as pumpkins, for "pick-your-own" or roadside 

 stand sales. These crops can be grown for a few years to 

 help defray the cost of caring for the young trees until they 

 come into production. The rows of the cultivated crops 

 should not be planted so close to the tree rows that they 

 interfere with growth of the young trees. Intercrops in a 

 young orchard should be considered as a temporary enter- 

 prise and they should be discontinued just as soon as they 

 interfere with tree growth and care. 



Mapping the Orchard 



Once the decisions are made concerning cultivars, rootstocks, 

 and planting distances, the orchard design should be drawn 

 to scale on paper. Be sure to map the location of the drainage 



system, wet spots, and changes in soil type. 



After planting, record any changes in original planting 

 plan, and record the date of planting, name and address of 

 nursery supplying the trees, weather conditions at time of 

 planting, and other information of value. 



Staking the Field 



A base line (the first row) is laid out on one side of the field 

 parallel with an adjacent row of trees in an existing orchard, 

 a fence, or a road. Stakes are placed along this line where 

 the trees are to be planted. {I/Vhen staking the field be sure 

 to allow sufficient room along the edges of the orchard for 

 equipment maneuverability.) Now establish several rows of 

 stakes at the spacing desired for the alley between trees at 

 right angles to this row (Fig. 3). Right angles can be deter- 

 mined with a measuring tape and stakes using the carpenter's 

 square method in which 9 ft. X 12 ft. x 15 ft. or 12 ft. x 16 ft. 

 X 20 ft. are the lengths of the sides of the right-angled triangle. 

 A right triangle can be constructed out of wood strips if 

 desired. Now that the stakes are in place, the remainder of 

 the orchard can be staked by "sighting-in" on the stakes 

 and with the tape measure. 



When staking the field only 1 or 2 months prior to plant- 

 ing, a couple of handfuls of lime can serve as an alternative 

 to staking each tree location. 



Fig. 3. A method of staking the orchard before planting. In this planting, the first row is laid out 30 feet from an existing 

 fence and the location of the trees in the row staked (12 feet apart in the row). Right angles are determined at both 

 ends and the middle of the first row with a 12 ft. x 16 ft. x 20 ft. right triangle. By stretching a measuring tape along 

 the 16 ft. side of the right triangle, the location of the trees can be staked. The rows are 20 feet apart. 



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