Module 5 – Planting Trees & Fruit-Bearing Trees (Quick Review)

Benefits of Planting Trees

  • Improve soil: formation, enrichment, erosion control
  • Regulate micro-climate: absorb heat, add O_2 & moisture, filter dust
  • Provide food (fruit), wood (lumber, pulp), shade & medicinal products

Orchard Site Selection

  • Prefer gentle slopes; avoid steep or flood-prone flats
  • Soil: deep, loamy/sandy, well-drained
  • Good natural drainage & full sunlight (>6 h/day)
  • Match species to local climate & space needs
  • Locate near roads/markets for quick transport

Plant Propagation Methods

  • Sexual: seed/spore; economical but may vary from parent
  • Asexual
    • Natural: runners (pineapple), rhizomes (ginger), suckers (banana), bulbs (onion), tubers (potato)
    • Artificial
      • Cutting – tuber, root, stem (hard/soft wood), leaf
      • Layering – bend & bury branch; root then sever (rose)
      • Marcotting – ring-bark, wrap with moist medium, root, sever
      • Grafting – whip, cleft; scion + stock
      • Budding – T-/shield, patch
      • Inarching – scion & stock still rooted while joined

Planting Procedures & Spacing

  • Select vigorous, locally adapted, early-fruiting seedlings
  • Dig square hole slightly larger than root mass; re-fill with topsoil; keep root collar at nursery depth
  • Water immediately; keep soil firm but not compacted
  • Scientific hole styles: deep-hole, slot, trench, center, side, cone
  • Common patterns
    • Square: rows 10\,\text{m}\times10\,\text{m}
    • Quincunx (diamond): filler tree at square centre
    • Rectangular / hedgerow
    • Hexagonal (triangular)

Care & Maintenance

  • Shallow cultivation; weed removal; mulch (straw, rice hull) for moisture & temperature control
  • Guard young trees; irrigate (sprinkle, surface, subsurface)
  • Prune annually to improve light, size, vigor, pest control
  • Thin early fruit (<3 yrs) to boost vegetative growth

Fertilization

  • Essential nutrients: N (leaf/stem), P (root, flower, fruit), K (overall health)
  • Organic fertilizer advantages: non-toxic food, on-farm, low cost, soil fertility, eco-safe
  • Types
    • Plant-based (peelings, green manure, seaweed)
    • Animal-based (manure, bone meal, fish emulsion)
    • Mineral-based (Epsom salt, calcium)
  • Composting: fast (6–8 wk), slow, vermiculture
  • Application methods: broadcast, band, foliar, top-dress; base on soil test & apply moderate amounts

Common Pests

Aphid, cutworm/borer, bug, beetle, fly, hopper, scale, fruit fly, snail – monitor & control early

Harvesting, Storage & Marketing

  • Pick at coolest times; handle gently; sort & pack with cushioning
  • Post-harvest tech: curing, waxing, refrigeration, quarantine treatments
  • Marketing outlets: retailer, wholesaler/contractor, broker, bulk, cooperatives