Editing Orchard

[[File:Orchard Lanes.jpg|thumb|Apple orchard lanes with apples fallen off the trees]]
{{short description|Intentionally planted trees or shrubs that are maintained for food production}}
{{About|the planting of trees in agriculture}}
[[File:Streuobstwiesen, Blick auf Traufgang und Lochenhörnle.jpg|thumb|Meadow orchard (Streuobstwiese) with view to the {{ill|Lochenhörnle|de|Lochen (Schwäbische Alb)}}]]

An '''orchard''' is an intentional plantation of [[tree]]s or [[shrub]]s that is maintained for [[food]] production. Orchards comprise [[fruit tree|fruit]]- or [[nut (fruit)|nut]]-producing trees that are generally grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of large [[garden]]s, where they serve an [[aesthetic]] as well as a productive purpose.<ref>{{cite book|title=Practical Orchard Plans and Methods: How to Begin and Carry on the Work |author= Luther Burbank|publisher=The Minerva Group|isbn=1-4147-0141-1}}</ref> A fruit garden is generally synonymous with an orchard, although it is set on a smaller, non-commercial scale and may emphasize [[berry]] shrubs in preference to [[fruit tree]]s. Most [[temperate]]-zone orchards are laid out in a regular grid, with a grazed or mown [[lawn|grass]] or bare [[soil]] base that makes maintenance and fruit gathering easy.

Most modern commercial orchards are planted for a single variety of fruit. While the importance of introducing [[biodiversity]] is recognized in forest plantations, introducing genetic diversity in orchard plantations by interspersing other trees might offer benefits. Genetic diversity in an orchard would provide resilience to pests and diseases, just as in [[forests]].<ref name="konnert15">{{cite journal|last1=Konnert, M., Fady, B., Gömöry, D., A'Hara, S., Wolter, F., Ducci, F., Koskela, J., Bozzano, M., Maaten, T. and Kowalczyk, J.|title=Use and transfer of forest reproductive material in Europe in the context of climate change|journal=European Forest Genetic Resources Programme, Bioversity International, Rome, Italy.|date=2015|page=xvi and 75 p|url=http://www.euforgen.org/fileadmin/templates/euforgen.org/upload/Publications/Thematic_publications/EUFORGEN_FRM_use_transfer.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170804173305/http://www.euforgen.org/fileadmin/templates/euforgen.org/upload/Publications/Thematic_publications/EUFORGEN_FRM_use_transfer.pdf|archive-date=2017-08-04}}</ref>

Orchards are sometimes concentrated near bodies of water where [[climate|climatic]] extremes are [[microclimate|moderated]] and [[flower|blossom]] time is retarded until [[frost]] danger is past.

==Layout==
An orchard's layout is the technique of planting the crops in a proper system.
There are different methods of planting and thus different layouts. Some of these layout types are:{{cn|date=September 2024}}
* [[Square]] method
* [[Rectangular]] method
* [[Quincunx]] method
* [[Triangular]] method
* [[Hexagonal]] method
* Contour or [[Terrace (agriculture)|terrace]] method

For different varieties, these systems may vary to some extent.

==Orchards by region==
[[File:A peach orchard in bloom (I0005494).tif|left|thumb|A peach orchard in bloom [ca. 1950]]]

The most extensive orchards in the United States are apple and orange orchards, although citrus orchards are more commonly called [[Grove (nature)|groves]]. The most extensive apple orchard area is in eastern [[Washington (state)|Washington]] state, with a lesser but significant apple orchard area in most of [[Upstate New York]]. Extensive orange orchards are found in [[Florida]] and southern [[California]]. In eastern [[North America]], many orchards are along the shores of [[Lake Michigan]] (such as the [[Fruit Ridge (Michigan)|Fruit Ridge Region]]), [[Lake Erie]], and [[Lake Ontario]].{{cn|date=September 2024}}

In [[Canada]], apple and other fruit orchards are widespread on the [[Niagara Peninsula]], south of Lake Ontario. This region is known as ''Canada Fruitbelt'' and, in addition to large-scale commercial fruit marketing, it encourages "pick-your-own" activities in the harvest season.{{cn|date=September 2024}}

In [[Spain]], [[Murcia]] is a major orchard area (or la huerta) in Europe, with citrus crops. New Zealand, China, Argentina, and Chile also have extensive apple orchards.{{cn|date=September 2024}}

[[Tenbury Wells]] in [[Worcestershire]] has been called ''The Town in the Orchard'', since the 19th century, because it was surrounded by extensive orchards. Today, this heritage is celebrated through an annual [[Applefest]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.applefest.org.uk|title=The Teme Valley Times supports the Tenbury Applefest|work=applefest.org.uk|access-date=2020-04-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170626210845/http://applefest.org.uk/|archive-date=2017-06-26|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Central Europe===
[[:de:Streuobstwiese|''Streuobstwiese'']] (pl. {{Lang|de|Streuobstwiesen}}) is a German word that means a meadow with scattered fruit trees or fruit trees that are planted in a field.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dict.cc/german-english/Streuobstwiese.html|title=dict.cc dictionary :: Streuobstwiese :: German-English translation|work=dict.cc}}</ref> {{Lang|de|Streuobstwiese}}, or a meadow orchard,<ref>''Streuobstwiese'': meadow orchard in [http://dictionary.reverso.net/german-english/Streuobstwiese German-English Collins Dictionary]</ref> is a traditional landscape in the temperate, maritime climate of continental Western Europe. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, {{Lang|de|Streuobstwiesen}} were a kind of a rural community orchard that were intended for the productive cultivation of [[stone fruit]]. In recent years, ecologists have successfully lobbied for state subsidies to valuable [[habitat]]s, [[biodiversity]] and [[natural landscape]]s, which are also used to preserve old meadow orchards. Both conventional and meadow orchards provide a suitable habitat for many animal species that live in a cultured landscape. A notable example is the [[hoopoe]] that nests in tree hollows of old fruit trees and, in the absence of alternative nesting sites, is threatened in many parts of [[Europe]] because of the destruction of old orchards.<ref>Berhens M. ''[http://www.foei.org/en/publications/pdfs/wel-e.pdf Why hoopoes won't trade]''. A Pro Natura Publication on the Global Economy and Nature. Pro Natura, Switzerland, pp. 8–9. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090327052340/http://www.foei.org/en/publications/pdfs/wel-e.pdf |date=March 27, 2009 }}</ref>

<gallery mode="packed" heights="90" caption="Orchards in various regions">
File:Lemon Orchard in the Galilee by David Shankbone.jpg|A [[lemon]] orchard in the [[Upper Galilee]] in [[Israel]]
File:Orchard3.jpg|A [[community orchard|community]] [[apple]] orchard originally planted for productive use during the 1920s, in [[Westcliff on Sea]] ([[Essex]], England)
File:Tuebingen Streuobstwiese.jpg|[[:de:Streuobstwiese|Streuobstwiese]], a rural community orchard, traditionally for productive use. Today endorsed for its quality of habitat and biodiversity.
File:Azwell WA.jpg|Apple orchards in [[Azwell, Washington]], surrounding a community of [[Fruit picking|pickers']] cabins
File:Sour cherry 3428.JPG|Sour [[cherry]] orchard on [[Lake Erie]] shoreline ([[Leamington, Ontario]])
File:AppleOrchard.jpg|Old growth apple orchard in Ottawa, Canada
</gallery>

==Historical orchards==
* [[Orchard House]] in [[Concord, Massachusetts]], was the residence of American celebrated writer [[Louisa May Alcott]].
* [[Fruita, Utah]], part of [[Capitol Reef National Park]] has [[Mormon pioneer]] orchards maintained by the [[United States National Park Service]].

==Modern orchards==
Historical orchards have large, mature trees spaced for heavy equipment. Modern commercial [[apple]] orchards, by contrast and as one example, are often "high-density" (tree density above {{cvt|150|PD/acre|order=flip|disp=or}}), and in extreme cases have up to {{cvt|9000|PD/acre|order=flip}}. These plants are no longer trees in the traditional sense, but instead resemble vines on dwarf stock and require trellises to support them.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Parker|first1=Michael|display-authors=etal|title=High Density Apple Orchard Management|url=https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/high-density-apple-orchard-management|publisher=[[North Carolina State University]]|access-date=26 July 2017|ref=AG-581}}</ref>

<gallery mode="packed" heights="90px">
File:Крушови дрвја во Сирково 02.jpg|[[Pear]] orchard in Sirkovo, [[North Macedonia]]
File:Цреши МК 10.jpg|[[Cherry]] orchard in Sirkovo, [[North Macedonia]]
File:Овоштарник со праски.jpg|[[Peach]] orchard in Sirkovo, [[North Macedonia]]
</gallery>
Now new "Smart Orchards" are being set up throughout the world.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sciforce |date=2023-01-25 |title=Smart Farming: The Future of Agriculture |url=https://www.iotforall.com/smart-farming-future-of-agriculture |access-date=2023-07-13 |website=IoT For All |language=en-US}}</ref> The first examples of such orchards are the Smart Orchard at [[Washington (state)|Washington , United States of America]] by Innov8 and [[Washington State University]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=SMART ORCHARD |url=https://www.innov8.ag/smartorchard |access-date=2023-07-13 |website=Innov8 Ag |language=en}}</ref> and Samriti Bagh orchard created in Maraog, India by Tejasvi Dogra<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thebetterindia.com/241575/tejasvi-dogra-apple-orchard-farmer-lawyer-shimla-technology-alexa-smart-farming-italian-apples-himachal-pradesh-him16%E2%80%A8/|title=Shimla Lawyer Controls Irrigation of Apple Orchard Sitting 100 Km Away. Here's How|first=Himanshu|last=Nitnaware|date=November 9, 2020|website=The Better India}}</ref> that incorporates the use of various sensors for orchard management.<ref>{{Cite web|last=zenger.news|date=2020-11-22|title=Apple Orchards Get Love and Care from Miles Away|url=http://tntribune.com/apple-orchards-get-love-and-care-from-miles-away/|access-date=2020-11-24|website=The Tennessee Tribune|language=en-US}}</ref>

==Orchard conservation in the UK==
* [[Natural England]], through its [[Countryside Stewardship Scheme]], [[Environmental Stewardship]] and [[Environmentally Sensitive Areas Scheme]], gives grant aid and advice for the maintenance, enhancement or re-creation of historical orchards.<ref name="Entry Level Stewardship Handbook">{{cite book |title=Entry Level Stewardship Handbook|year=2008 |publisher=Natural England|isbn=978-1-84754-080-5 |page=29}}</ref>
* The Orchard Link organisation provides advice on how to manage and restore the county of [[Devon]]'s orchards, as well as enabling the local community to use the local orchard produce.<ref name="Orchard Link Organisation">{{cite web|url=http://www.orchardlink.org.uk|title=Welcome to orchardlink.org.uk|work=orchardlink.org.uk}}</ref> An organisation called Orchards Live carries out similar work in North Devon.<ref name="Orchards Live">{{cite web|url=http://www.orchardslive.org.uk/|title=Orchards Live - About Us|work=orchardslive.org.uk}}</ref>
* [[People's Trust for Endangered Species]] (PTES) has mapped every traditional orchard within England and Wales and manages the national inventory for this habitat.<ref>PTES Traditional Orchard Survey</ref>
* The UK Biodiversity Partnership lists traditional orchards and a priority [[UK Biodiversity Action Plan]] habitat.<ref name="UK BAP">{{Cite web|url=http://www.ukbap.org.uk/|title=Working as a Biologist & Safety At Work Accidents UKBAP|date=January 25, 2017}}</ref>
* The [[Wiltshire Traditional Orchards Project]] maps, conserves and restores traditional orchards within Wiltshire, England.{{Citation needed|date=August 2022}}
* An interim report from the [[National Trust]] showed that orchards had reduced in scale from approximately 95,000 hectares in the period 1892–1914, to 41,000 hectares overall in 2022.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Dommett |first=Tom |url=https://nt.global.ssl.fastly.net/documents/lost-blossom-study-2022.pdf |title=Blossom over Time: Interim Report |publisher=National Trust |year=2022 |access-date=2022-08-01 |archive-date=2022-03-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220325040354/https://nt.global.ssl.fastly.net/documents/lost-blossom-study-2022.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> The campaign #[[BlossomWatch]] is part of a wider programme of work by the Trust to plant 68 new orchards by 2025,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-04-27 |title=National Trust to create 68 orchards by 2025 to boost wildlife |url=http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/apr/27/national-trust-to-create-68-orchards-by-2025-to-boost-wildlife |access-date=2022-07-19 |website=the Guardian |language=en}}</ref> and four million trees with blossom by 2030.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-03-24 |title=Orchards vanishing from the landscape, says National Trust |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-60834796 |access-date=2022-07-19}}</ref>

==Notable people==
* [[Belle van Dorn Harbert]] (born 1860), fruit farmer, founder of International Congress of Farm Women{{cn|date=September 2024}}

==See also==
{{Portal|Trees}}
* [[Climate-friendly gardening]]
* [[Forest]]
* [[Forest farming]]
* [[Forest gardening]]
* [[Fruit tree forms]]
* [[Fruit tree pollination]]
* [[Fruit tree propagation]]
* [[Fruit tree pruning]]
* [[Wood industry]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons}}
* [http://www.homeorchardsociety.org Home Orchard Society]
* [http://ssfruit.cas.psu.edu/ Pennsylvania tree fruit production guide; a guide on how to set up an orchard in practice]
* {{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Orchard}}

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[[Category:Orchards| ]]
[[Category:Agricultural establishments]]
[[Category:Horticulture]]
[[Category:Trees]]
[[Category:Fruit trees]]
[[Category:Farms by type]]