A review of orchard soil management effects on tree growth and soil parameters is presented. It shows the gap between present common practices and results achievable in other systems. An alternative soil management system for newly planted peach trees, termed “killed-sod”, is described. This system has improved soil structure and rainfall infiltration and greatly increased early tree growth and yield. A fertilization study has demonstrated that the addition of a complete fertilizer in four different soil management systems could not account for the increased growth resulting from the improved soil environment in the killed-sod system.
