Home Orchards Planted for a Lifetime of Harvests
The Work We're Named For, in Santa Cruz and the Greater South Bay
Before we were anything else, we were orchard keepers. The company began in 2004 pruning fruit trees, with roots in UCSC's Chadwick Garden tradition. Hundreds of home orchards later, planting fruit trees is still the heart of everything we do. Orchard Keepers installs home orchards for properties in Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz County, Los Gatos, Saratoga, Portola Valley, Atherton, and the greater South Bay, from the first site walk to the first ripe fruit.
An Orchard Is a Patient Promise
A fruit tree is one of the few things you can plant that will outlast your patience, reward it, and then keep going for decades. Getting it right at the start matters more here than anywhere else in the landscape. Here is how we plant orchards that keep their promise.
The Right Tree in the Right Ground
Most fruit trees take four to six years to reach meaningful production, which means the wrong variety costs you years, not just a season. We select locally adapted varieties matched to your site's soil, sun, and microclimate, and to the way your household actually eats. And for fruit while you wait, cane berries and blueberries can be picking-ready by year two.
An orchard's future is decided mostly at planting. Proper spacing for the mature tree rather than the sapling, soil prepared to welcome deep roots, irrigation designed for how young trees drink and how old trees endure: these quiet decisions at the start are what your orchard will be living on twenty years from now. We plant with that horizon in mind.
Planted for the Decades, Not the Season
More Than Trees in the Ground
A home orchard is a small working system, and we build all of it: the irrigation that carries trees through establishment, the soil care that feeds them, the supporting plantings that bring pollinators and beneficials into the rows. In a climate this generous, a well-planned orchard can anchor a landscape that offers something to harvest in every season of the year.
Designed with Nature in Mind
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Designed with Nature in Mind ◆
Trusted by Homeowners Who Care Deeply About Their Land
There are not enough superlatives in the dictionary for how we feel about Orchard Keepers. Hana and the crew are extremely attentive and knowledgeable about the gardens and orchards that are on site. They follow up after every visit with a review of the work done and what is planned for the future visits. Andy and the install team are all very friendly, hard working and knowledgeable.
Shane K., via Google
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A Clear Approach to Home Orchard Installation
01
Begin With A Discovery Call And Site Visit
We start by walking your property and listening: where the sun falls, how the water moves, what you dream of picking, and what the site can support.
02
Select Varieties and Design the Orchard
We choose locally adapted fruit tree varieties and lay out the orchard around your site's conditions and your household's harvest, with spacing and systems planned for the trees they'll become.
03
Prepare, Plant,
and Establish
Our crew prepares the soil, plants with care, and sets up the irrigation and support young trees depend on, communicating clearly at every step.
04
Grow Into A Long-Term Partnership
An orchard rewards steady attention, and our maintenance team can carry yours forward with the pruning, feeding, and seasonal care that turn young trees into a thriving orchard.
Edible & Ecological Landscape Services
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Edible & Ecological Landscape Services ◆
FAQS
Home Orchard Questions We Hear Often
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Home orchard installation covers the full arc from site assessment and variety selection to soil preparation, planting, irrigation, and the early support young trees need to establish well. Every orchard is planned around the property's conditions and the way you want to harvest at home.
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Most fruit trees take four to six years to reach meaningful production, and proper variety selection and pruning dramatically shape that timeline. Adding cane berries and blueberries alongside the trees puts fruit in the bowl by year two while the orchard matures.
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An orchard can begin with three trees or thirty. What matters is fit: varieties suited to the site, spacing that serves the mature trees, and a scale that matches how much fruit your household will actually use and enjoy.
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Our mild coastal climate welcomes a remarkable range, from apples, pears, and stone fruit to citrus, and berries. The right mix depends on your property's microclimate, and choosing well is much of what we bring: varieties proven in this region, selected for your specific site.
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Ongoing care is where an orchard truly succeeds, and it's our most popular monthly service. Our maintenance team offers fruit tree care that includes pruning, feeding, and pest and disease management, so the orchard we plant together keeps improving season after season.
Santa Cruz Area Home Orchards Rooted in Stewardship
The best time to plant an orchard was years ago; the second-best time is this season. Schedule a consultation to explore home orchard installation for your property in Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz County, Los Gatos, Saratoga, Portola Valley, Atherton, or the greater South Bay.