A symmetrical orchard layout, with even spacing within and between rows, gives an orderly appearance, the same area to each tree and straight inter-rows for easy access. Large and widely spaced trees might lend themselves to a more haphazard layout in informal contexts, particularly if complementing some other landscape feature such as a path or pond.

The usual planting pattern is square or rectangular, with rows going up and down the slope on sloping sites. A greater distance between rows than between trees within the row allows the inter-row to be kept clear while the tree crowns approximately touch within the row. Area per tree is more important than the shape of the rectangle allotted to each tree (provided the trees are pruned accordingly).

Other orchard planting patterns are the quincunx, in which any four trees in a square have a fifth in the middle in the manner of the five dots on a die, and the hexagonal pattern, which is similar except that the four outer trees are in a rectangle of proportion 2:1 (this results in any one tree being surrounded by six equidistant trees in the form of a hexagon).

Two- or three-row beds of dwarfed trees as in some commercial orchards can be advantageous, giving high fruit productivity per unit area and heavily shaded ground below, giving sparse ground vegetation. Apple trees on M9 in the south of England might be staggered at 1.5m centres, with 3m between the beds to give an aisle for access. Such beds have to be pruned with skill every year.

If several rows or beds of trees are planted, a right-angle can be found from a triangle with dimensions in the ratio 3:4:5, the starting point typically being at a corner of the site. Measuring and sighting sticks are helpful to make lines straight. If you’re staking your fruit trees, the stakes should be measured out, lined up and driven in before planting.