Tree Density
Planting spacing for fruit trees
Fruit trees are grown on a range of rootstocks in order to control tree size. Spacing of fruit trees (tree density) depends on fruit variety/rootstock combination, soil type and a number of other factors.
Planting fruit trees too close together causes them to shade each other and produce lower yields and lower quality fruit.
Planting them too far apart decreases yield potential and increases cosmetic defects.
Tree density and orchard management systems are integrated.
How many trees do you need to order?
The following calculator is a tool to assist you in determining the number of trees you will require to plant your new orchard.
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Total area in square metres LESS Area lost to headlands, sidelands, dams, loading areas, storage & buildings |
= Net area in square metres |
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Net area in square metres DIVIDED BY (Distance between row x distance between trees) |
= Trees Required |
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*There are 10,000 square metres in a hectare |
Planting space guideline for calculating trees per hectare
The following chart is a cross-check and rough guide to some common spacings for fruit tree plantings in your orchard and gives tree density per planted hectare for a number of common in-row/between-row spacings:
| Space between Rows in Metres | Space within Rows in Metres | |||||||||||
| 1 | 1.2 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 2 | 2.2 | 2.4 | 2.5 | 2.7 | 3 | |
| 3 | 3333 | 2778 | 2222 | 2083 | 1961 | 1852 | 1667 | 1515 | 1389 | 1333 | 1234 | 1111 |
| 3.2 | 3200 | 2604 | 2083 | 1953 | 1838 | 1736 | 1562 | 1420 | 1302 | 1250 | 1157 | 1041 |
| 3.3 | 3030 | 2525 | 2020 | 1894 | 1783 | 1683 | 1515 | 1377 | 1263 | 1212 | 1122 | 1010 |
| 3.5 | 2857 | 2381 | 1904 | 1786 | 1681 | 1587 | 1429 | 1299 | 1190 | 1143 | 1058 | 952 |
| 3.6 | 2778 | 2315 | 1852 | 1736 | 1634 | 1543 | 1389 | 1263 | 1157 | 1111 | 1029 | 926 |
| 3.75 | 2667 | 2222 | 1779 | 1667 | 1570 | 1481 | 1333 | 1212 | 1111 | 1067 | 988 | 889 |
| 4 | 2500 | 2083 | 1667 | 1562 | 1471 | 1389 | 1250 | 1136 | 1042 | 1000 | 926 | 833 |
| 4.5 | 2222 | 1852 | 1481 | 1389 | 1307 | 1235 | 1111 | 1010 | 926 | 889 | 823 | 741 |
| 5 | 2000 | 1666 | 1333 | 1250 | 1176 | 1111 | 1000 | 909 | 833 | 800 | 741 | 666 |
Note that when replacing rows in an old orchard and tree density is changing, common sense sidelands to adjacent rows needs to be allowed.
Adjustment for pollinators:
Note when ordering trees that some adjustment may need be needed for pollinators. See the pollination section of our website or individual variety sheets for more detailed pollination information of each variety.
Cherry: For cherry plantings, pollination is critical. See cherry section for pollination guidelines.
Apple: For apples, the current thinking is to either have rows of commercial pollinator varieties running through the block or 5% of a specific pollinator inter-planted in the rows. These are usually on a rootstock that will produce a small highly flowering tree such as a crab apple or M9 rootstock. Crab apple requirements are 1/20 of the number of trees required and are additional to the number of trees calculated above.