I have a 180' by 70' space and want to plant an apple orchard for cider both hard and sweet. I have read quite a bit, but not talked to anyone and would like knowledgable advice about soil, varieties, spacing, where to buy etc. I live near Canby and if someone would like to visit, I can trade some hard cider for your time. Let me know charlesk@canby.com
Soil is something I want to learn more about .....because it is my suspicion that soil is the number #1 cause why I am finding some apple trees that are not producing well in the Piper Orchard in Seattle......about 20 years ago some "heritage" type apple trees were planted there on top of an existing orchard....but the soil was never fumigated and this can be a problem in planting on top of a space of an existing old orcahrd.......and only recently have we sent off a soil sample to a lab to even check about the nitrogen levels, fungal life, bacteria, etc.
Apple trees are pretty tolerant of a wide variety of soils, I believe, but have you done a soil sample?
What I really like about your idea is that it is Sooo.....practical to know what you want and to focus on that.....by focusing on cider you avoid all the headaches of keeping the apple maggot out, codling moth, and even scab.....because if you cook up the apples, what do you care what they look like?
So, your big concern is then what flavor you want.....and I know Seattle has a Cider Society up here I could put you in touch with.....and I suspect Oregon has one or two cider societies to help tell you what would make for a great taste.
As to spacing or a nursery, you probably want the trees closely spaced on dwarfing rootstock....these are questions that depend on your pocketbook, but the dwarfed trees will come into fruition early and be easy to pick......if you really want to do a lot of work you could trellis it?
Have you visited the HOS arboretum yet?
The traditional advice for eating apples is to mix early / mid / late-season varieties in the ratio 1:2:4. That might not apply as much in your case, but it is probably still worth thinking about seasonality and ensuring you have some early and mid-season varieties so that you can have freshly-pressed apples throughout the season.
I would plant, say, 75% of your space with 3-4 varieties, to make up your core production. These should be primarily varieties that have good quality juice and are easy to grow and productive. I would then use the remaining 25% of space for some more unusual varieties that can add additional character to your cider mixes.
Quality cooking apples are often a good source of juice. The English Bramley and the French Calville Blanc are worth seeking out.
I would also consider varieties with strong distinctive flavors such as Ashmeads Kernel, Winesap etc.
Finally I agree with DonRicks that unless you want a traditional-looking orchard, go for dwarfing rootstocks.
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