Make smart decisions when purchasing equipment for your Orchard. Learn about the equipment you will need, typical costs, and where are the best places to buy it.
Required Equipment and Materials for an Orchard
Most orchard owners will need the following equipment and materials to get started:
Saplings/grafts ($10 – $80) Shovel ($30 – $100) Hose ($10 – $100) Auger ($50 – $300) Tractor ($1,500 – $15,000) Air-blast sprayer ($20 – $4,000) | Boxes or other containers for fruit ($1 for disposable or up to $100 for reusable) Grafting tool ($60 – $100) Pruning shears ($15 – $70) Tree guards ($5 each) |
Sample List of Purchases
A typical person looking to purchase equipment for an orchard might make the following purchases:
Saplings ($15 for ten) Tractor $2,600) Hose ($20) Shovel ($45) Pruning shears ($80) | Auger ($150) Tree guards ($5 for ten) Grafting tool ($75) Air-blast sprayer ($125) |
Grand Total: $3,115
Key Decisions
Picking the right saplings is arguably the most important buying decision you’ll make when starting an orchard. We outline the key considerations you’ll need to keep in mind when making this purchase and provide some popular options.
Keep in mind that certain fruit trees must be grown in certain climates. Location is the first and most important consideration when choosing the trees you wish to grow. Different fruits have different growing seasons, so some farmers choose to stagger their fruit trees in a way that provides them with an income for the longest chunk of the year possible.
It is also important to consider how much space you have to work with. This is another important factor when purchasing fruit trees for your orchard. Listed below are several options to consider:
Dwarf fruit trees
These trees are good for orchards without a lot of space, and their fruit can be picked without a ladder. They are typically 8-10 feet tall and wide and benefit from the use of tree stakes to help them grow.
Semi-dwarf fruit trees
These trees are medium-sized and maximize fruit yield per square foot. They are typically 12-15 feet tall and wide and will generate approximately twice the fruit that a dwarf tree would.
Standard fruit trees
These trees are good for very large orchards that also need shade. They are typically 18+ feet tall and wide, take the longest to grow, and generate the most fruit over time.
Best Places to Buy
Almost all of the equipment for an orchard can be purchased either in-store or online. You can also sometimes find second-hand equipment that is still in good working quality.
Willis Orchards
Willis Orchards offers many different saplings in various sizes. It categorizes the U.S. into zones and tells users which trees will grow best in a given zone.
Home Depot
Because Home Depot is a chain, it should be easy to access and will provide quite a few pieces of equipment you need. This is also a great place to buy small tractors.
Orchard Valley Supply
This online retailer offers all of the equipment you will need for your orchard apart from heavy machinery and the plants themselves. Orchard Valley Supply organizes its website into different categories of equipment you might want for your orchard. It makes it easy to order large quantities of equipment like tree tubes and to look through optional equipment if you have a little extra room in your budget.
Next Steps
Find out more about what goes into starting and running an orchard
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