“Give a person some fruit, and they will be fed for a day. Teach them how to grow fruit trees, and they will be fed for a lifetime.”
This adaptation of an age-old saying is increasingly relevant in today’s climate of swelling inflation, widespread unemployment, and many people living below the poverty line.
Growing fruit trees can be an excellent source not only of nutritious food, but also sustainable income and cheaper, locally sourced fruit for communities. Growing fruit trees and caring for them doesn’t have to be complicated. Here, we outline some techniques and approaches that will help you to get the most out of these juicy treasure troves.
Practical considerations for planting fruit trees
Before planting fruit trees it is important to understand your land. Most fruit trees require full sunlight to produce the best yields, but some grow well in shady areas, especially various types of berries.
As well as light conditions, fruit trees will be affected by temperature and exposure. Many fruits prefer warmer climates, so if your region gets cold, (dropping to below freezing for several days on end) try to steer clear of the more sensitive tropical fruit trees.
In South Africa, we are fortunate to benefit from hot summers and, in most areas, reasonably mild winter months. This means that you can plant fruit trees throughout the year. If your area is prone to frost, however, like the country’s highveld areas, you may also need to protect your fruit trees in winter by covering them with cloth or burlap to keep in warm air during the coldest times.
Most fruit trees flourish in sheltered areas accessible by pollinators like bees, other insects, and birds. Semi-permanent or permanent windbreaks can help to protect areas exposed to strong winds; consider planting hedge-like shrubs or berry-producing bushes to shelter your orchard.
Of course, as with any crops, it is also crucial to ensure good soil health and irrigation. Depending on the local climate, you can include various permaculture design principles such as swales and berms to slow, spread, and sink water throughout the orchard, and other techniques to reduce runoff in wet areas or retain water in drier areas.
High density orchard culture
High density orchard culture (HDOC) is a method that doesn’t require expensive commercial equipment and aims to move away from traditional monoculture orchards. Some of the central principles include:
- Planting a much higher number of trees in any given area (compared to traditional orchard culture).
- Keeping the trees in the orchard small and more productive through pruning.
- Planting multiple species, including multiple combinations of stone fruit, pome fruit, citrus, and nut trees.
- Planting multiple varieties of each kind of fruit, so that harvesting is consistent throughout the season (for example, planting early, mid, and late peaches in the same orchard allows farmers to crop sustainably throughout the season).
Food & Trees for Africa (FTFA) incorporates HDOC into its Enterprise Orchards initiative, which aims to assist communities in peri-urban and rural areas as well as townships to grow orchard produce for local markets.
Food forests
Fruit and nut trees also form an integral part of sustainable food forest ecosystems alongside berry bushes, perennial herbs, legumes, vegetables. In this case, plant your fruit trees once indigenous pioneer plant and tree species have formed the forest canopy and remediated the soil.
If you plan to grow fruit trees, remember that all species have different requirements, so do your research. Planning is critical, and will help to ensure your fruit orchard’s success. As with all things in nature, though, the more diversity, the better!
