Garden

Orchard Dreams as First Generation Farmers

When we first started dreaming about our homestead, one of the things at the top of our list was growing fruit trees—especially apples. There’s something so grounding and beautiful about planting trees you hope will feed your family for years to come. In the fall, we finally took the leap and started our very own homestead apple orchard, and we wanted to bring you along on the journey.

Whether you’re planting one tree or a dozen, this post walks through how we did it—what worked, what we learned, and the simple steps we took to get our apple orchard in the ground and growing. We also planted blueberry bushes, so check out that post as well!

Why We Chose Apple Trees

We chose apple trees not only because we love fresh apples, juice/cider, and homemade pie (let’s be real), but also because they’re well-suited for our region and relatively beginner-friendly. They offer beauty, food, and a legacy—something we can care for year after year.

Step-by-Step: How We Started Our Orchard

1. Choosing the Right Spot

We looked for a sunny, well-drained area with enough space for the trees to grow without crowding each other. Airflow is important for preventing disease, and easy access to water was a plus.

2. Picking Our Varieties

We chose gala, red + yellow delicious, and fuji apple varieties. Each of these trees blooms at roughly the same time in spring, which is key for successful pollination. Bees and other pollinators carry pollen from one tree’s blossoms to another, and without the right timing and pairing, your trees may flower beautifully but never bear fruit. This mix gives us not only reliable pollination but also a variety of flavors and harvest times—which means more extended enjoyment come fall!

3. Prepping the Soil

Back in the fall, we did a soil sample in the area we knew we wanted to plant to see what the soil will need. Apples need balanced soil to thrive, so after receiving our soil sample results we took time to amend the soil with compost and natural fertilizer before planting. For us, a basic 10-10-10 did the job! Good soil gives young trees the best start possible.

4. Planting Day!

We dug holes three times as wide as the root ball and just as deep. After loosening the roots and placing the trees in the ground, we filled in with our native soil, watered deeply, and added mulch around the base (but not touching the trunk).

5. Pruning & Protecting

After planting in the fall, when Spring rolled around we gave our trees a light prune to encourage strong growth. We pruned our trees right after planting using the central leader method, which encourages one strong main trunk with well-spaced horizontal branches (kind of like a Christmas tree shape). Once you have a strong main trunk selected, remove any dead, diseased or damaged limbs. Always use clean, sharp pruning shears and make cuts at a slight angle just above a bud that’s facing the direction you want the new growth to go. 

6. Fertilizing Naturally

We used a simple organic fertilizer blend to support healthy root development without overwhelming the young trees. Again, a simple 10-10-10 fertilizer did the job!

What We Learned Along the Way

• Don’t skip the planning step. Spacing, sun, and variety choice really matter.

• Mulch is magic—it keeps the moisture in and the weeds out.

• You don’t need to be an expert to get started. Just start with care, intention, and a willingness to learn as you go.

• Pruning feels ‘wrong’ in the moment, but in the long run it will give us the best yield!
• The trees aren’t dead, they’re just dormant. I really thought in those Winter months we did something wrong, but seeing them flower and green again in the Spring was a fun reminder we’re doing all the right things!

Watch the Journey

We filmed the whole process—from digging and planting to pruning and fertilizing. You can watch the full video here: