At what distance should apple trees be planted?

What factors should be considered?

Regardless of the country (Russia, Ukraine, or Belarus) in which apple tree seedlings are planted, the procedure requires consideration of certain factors. These include:

• Lighting. Plants should not be heavily shaded;
• Winds. There should be no sharp or strong winds;
• Can I plant varieties together? Some crops cannot be grown together for a number of reasons. If they are planted together, competition will develop between the seedlings, and one plant will die;
• Pollinator varieties. Some varieties act as pollinators for other varieties;
• requirements of the variety to growing conditions;
• Growth rate. Different trees and their varieties have different growth rates.

In addition, experts recommend planting crops from different fruiting seasons at the same time. This will help avoid periodic declines in yield. All of the above factors will help you correctly determine the distance from the fence to the seedling, between rows, and between adjacent plants. This is the only way to achieve abundant fruiting from all garden crops.

How to calculate distance

When planting apple trees, it is important to take into account the characteristics of their variety. After all, they can grow to dwarf, medium, or very tall heights. The maximum height of the species and the diameter of the crown at maturity directly influence the spacing between seedlings.

To determine this parameter, you need to know the following points:

• bush-type trees - from plants 1-1.5 m, and from a row - 3-4 m;
• low-growing plants - 3–3.5 m from the seedling, and 4.5–5 m from the row;
• if dwarf rootstocks for apple trees were used - from the line 4 m, and in beds - 2.5 m;
• medium- and vigorous species should be spaced 4–5 m apart from each other and 5–6 m apart from adjacent rows;
• The distance between columnar apple trees when planting is 0.6 m (dwarf varieties), 1 m (medium-sized varieties) and 1.2 m (vigorous).

These are approximate parameters that are adjusted depending on the chosen variety and planting pattern. It's worth noting that the planting pattern for different apple trees depends on the garden's size and the gardener's preferences.

Distance depending on growth strength

The most important factor influencing the spacing between apple trees is their vigor. This fruit tree is a fairly large tree with a broad crown when mature. Therefore, if the spacing between planted trees and adjacent trees is small, this will create unfavorable conditions for fruiting.

The final height of a plant determines how far apart it should be planted relative to other crops. The shorter the crown and main stem, the closer the plants can be planted. For example, columnar apple trees can be planted much closer together than vigorous plants.

Single-row seating

Today, there are several types of fruit tree planting patterns used to determine the spacing between apple tree seedlings. A single-line planting is quite common. However, this method of planting seedlings and bushes should be used only if the goal is to create a fruit alley. This method is also used when growing a "fruit wall" along a neighbor's fence of sufficient height.

Furthermore, single-row planting is appropriate in small garden plots. Here, it is used to visually demarcate areas from one another. In this case, it serves as an alternative to metal dividing structures.

When planting seedlings in a single line, remember that the minimum distance between adjacent dwarf trees should be 150–200 cm. Planting apple trees in the spring requires maintaining a distance of at least 4 m between trees of other varieties. If you need to plant spur and non-dwarf varieties, the minimum distance increases to 250–300 cm. For medium-sized varieties, this parameter is 5 m, and for vigorous varieties, 6 m.

It is worth noting that young trees are planted in such a way that the resulting row does not “cut off” the sun in the garden.

Otherwise, the area beyond the line will be permanently shaded, making it impossible to grow vegetables, shrubs, and other fruit trees.

Chess order

Apple trees are most often planted in a staggered pattern in spring. In this case, the trees are planted in two parallel rows, with a distinct stagger between them. This planting method is suitable for palmette orchards "on supports."

This method is considered more optimal, as it has the following advantages:

• minimizes the shadow created by plants planted in the adjacent row;
• allows you to use free space in the garden more efficiently;
• makes it possible to plant fruit trees of different heights nearby.

When using this planting method, the following recommendations should be followed in terms of choosing the right interval:

• for dwarf varieties – 150 cm;
• for semi-dwarf varieties – 300–375 cm;
• for tall species – 500–540 cm.

The following intervals must be maintained between rows:

• for dwarf varieties – 3 m;
• for tall species – 5.5 m.

Here, it's essential to plant the second row of apple trees so that they face the empty space in the first row. When choosing this arrangement, remember that they will require more careful maintenance, especially in the spring. Otherwise, the garden will quickly turn into a "fruit forest."

Distance between apple trees and other trees

The most important task for any gardener is the proper placement of fruit trees and bushes, as well as vegetables, on the plot. Therefore, it's important to know not only the rules for planting apple trees in spring but also the acceptable distance between seedlings and other crops. It's worth noting that this fruit crop doesn't grow well with all fruit varieties. Therefore, choosing the right planting spacing will help avoid unwanted neighbors and reduce tree yields.

Today, they are grown alongside a wide variety of fruit crops. Each requires a specific distance from each when planting seedlings:

• Pear. When planted next to a pear grafted onto dwarf rootstocks, the distance between plants should be 4–5 m. When planting two vigorous varieties next to each other, the distance increases to 9 m;
• Cherry. Large tree-type cherries should be planted at a distance of 6 m, and bush-type varieties – 3.5 m. If dwarf or felt-type cherries are planted, the interval should be 2.5 m;
• Cherry. For low-growing varieties, 4 m is taken, and for vigorous varieties – 6.5 m;
• Plum. In this case, the distance between the two varieties (columnar and dwarf) should be 2.5 m, and for the others – 3.5 m. Vigorous plums are planted at intervals of 6–8 m.

As we can see, determining the proper spacing for apple trees in the garden requires taking into account a number of different factors. It's also essential to follow the rules for planting seedlings in their permanent location.

Video: "Proper Planting of Fruit Trees"

This video will tell you how far apart apple trees should be planted.