Why Are Fruit Orchards Often Next to Water?

Water Source

• An obvious benefit for an orchard to have a nearby body of water is that it provides irrigation for use during seasonal droughts or to help establish newly planted trees. Water naturally follows the path of least resistance on land and pools in an area of lowest elevation. While rains may wet the soil around the trees, excess water gathers in the lake or pond. Electric irrigation pumps or irrigation ditches move that supply of water through the orchard as needed to prevent trees from suffering from periodic dry spells, especially during the heat of summer.

Drainage

• The land around the body of water naturally tapers or slopes to both facilitate drainage and contain the water mass. Good drainage is essential around a vast array of orchard tree species, as wet soil encourages fungal diseases and root rot. Wet soils can also cause premature dropping of foliage and developing fruits, just as much as an excessively dry soil. Presence of a lake or pond proves that the contour of nearby land drains excess water away from tree roots, preventing soggy, mucky soils.

Pooling of Cold Air

• Cold air is heavy and flows down hills and slopes in a similar manner as water. An ideal location for an orchard is on the sunny gentle slopes above a river, lake or pond. As late winter warms up and trees break their dormancy with swollen flower and leaf buds, it's vital that no late frosts occur to destroy the tender new tissues. The low elevation water body acts as a basin to collect the heavy, ground-hugging cold air in spring and fall, draining the coldest air away from the orchard trees. This is especially important for trees that bloom very early, such as almonds, sweet cherries, apricots and pears.

Regional Insight

• Not all orchards in the United States are sited adjacent to bodies of water. While the drainage of water and cold air is more obvious on orchards on the slopes around a body of water, water retention is not as important in some regions. In drier parts of the West or South, the nearby pond is more vital to have to offset the higher likelihood of droughts during the year. In the Midwest or Northeast, where moisture often is plentiful year-round, the need for a pond for irrigation is less of a concern.