A lemon orchard in the Upper Galilee of Israel.

A community apple orchard originally planted for productive use during the 1920s, in Westcliff on Sea (Essex, England)

Streuobstwiese, a rural community orchard, traditionally for productive use. Today endorsed for its quality of habitat and biodiversity

An orchard is an intentional planting of trees or shrubs maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit or nut-producing trees grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of large gardens, where they serve an aesthetic as well as a productive purpose.^[1] 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 trees.

Most temperate-zone orchards are laid out in a regular grid, with a grazed or mown grass or bare soil base that makes maintenance and fruit gathering easy.

Orchards are often concentrated near bodies of water, where climatic extremes are moderated and blossom time is retarded until frost danger is past.

The forest garden is a food production system that is closely related to the orchard. A move towards more ecologically-friendly coffee production has led to forest-garden production of coffee. Brazil Nuts and rubber are being produced in such a method in some areas.

Often, mixed orchards are planted. In Europe quince is sometimes planted along with apples.

[edit] Meadow orchard (Streuobstwiese)

Streuobstwiese (pl. Streuobstwiesen) is a German word that means a meadow with scattered fruit trees or fruit trees planted in a field.^[2] Streuobstwiese, or a meadow orchard,^[3] is a traditional landscape in the temperate, maritime climate of continental Western Europe. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, Streuobstwiesen were a kind of a rural community orchard intended for productive cultivation of stone fruit. In recent years, ecologists have successfully lobbied for state subsidies to valuable habitats, biodiversity, and natural landscapes, 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.^[4]

[edit] Crops

[edit] Orchards by region

Apple orchards in Azwell, Washington surrounding a community of pickers' cabins

Sour cherry orchard on Lake Erie shoreline (Leamington, Ontario)

The most extensive orchards in the United States are apple and orange orchards, although citrus orchards are more commonly called groves. The most extensive apple orchard area is in eastern 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 Region), Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario.

In Canada, apple and other fruit orchards are widespread on the Niagara Peninsula, south of Lake Ontario. This region is known as Canada Fruitland and, in addition to large-scale commercial fruit marketing, it is a favorite playground for "pick-your-own" activities in the summer.

Murcia is a major orchard area in Europe, with citrus crops. New Zealand, China, Argentina, and Chile also have extensive apple orchards.

[edit] Towns associated with orchards

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.^[5]

[edit] Airports associated with orchards

• ORD
• Orchard Field

[edit] Historical orchards

• Orchard House in Concord, Massachusetts 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.

[edit] Orchard Conservation and Promotion Organisations and Schemes within England

• 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.^[6]

• The 'Orchard Link' organisation provides advice on how to manage and restore the county of Devons orchards, as well as enabling the local community to utilise the local orchard produce.^[7], an organisation called 'Orchards Live' carries out similar work in North Devon.^[8].

• The 'Peoples Trust for Endangered Species' aims to locate, assess and map every Traditional Orchard within England. .^[9].

• The UK Biodiversity Partnership lists Traditional Orchards and a priority UK Biodiversity Action Plan habitat.^[10].

[edit] See also

• Berries
• Citrus
• Drupe
• Forest garden
• Fruit
• Fruit tree forms
• Fruit tree pollination
• Fruit tree propagation
• Fruit trees
• Pruning fruit trees

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Orchard

• Home Orchard Society
• North American Fruit Explorers
• Orchards pathway on England In Particular
• Pennsylvania tree fruit production guide; a guide on how to set up an orchard in practice
• Traditional Orchards A Summary by Natural England. Other free publications are also available in the same series on this website.
•  "Orchard". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). 1911.