damp ground

jominers4

Hi, just bought some land but where I want to plant the fruit trees it appears to have damp ground.   Some are saying fruit trees like damp ground but others say opposite.  It is not waterlogged by any means but is at the bottom of a sloping area which eventually runs into a stream.  I have several apple, pear, plum and cherry trees I want to transplant.   Will they survive in the damp ground please

Loxley

I'm sure someone more experienced than me will chip in, but if you dig a hole a couple of feet deep and fill with water, does it drain away? If the ground is saturated you are always going to struggle, but you could plant the trees on slight mounds, and / or dig some trenches leading downhill.

Last edited: 05 October 2017 09:25:06

Dovefromabove

I think you  need to find out what the area is like in the winter and spring ... how 'damp' is it in February for instance? 

Also whereabouts are you, what is the approximate temperature range, type of soil etc?

Last edited: 05 October 2017 09:43:02

jominers4

thanks for the replies.   I will dig a few holes and see what the drainage is like.   We are in a valley and the ground we have bought is slightly going downhill but not by much but our next door neighbour tells us that it can get quite damp in the corner where I want to put the orchard so I may have to look somewhere else on the land to do this.  

thanks again for advice

Dovefromabove

Another thing to think about is that cold air moves down hillsides and can form frost pockets, which is something that can cause problems at blossom time 

Some info on frost pockets and other micro-climates here https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=689