What is the general planting distance for fruit trees?

Fruit trees should be spaced at approximately the height of the mature tree. Apple trees require a 35-foot diameter around them, while peach trees require a 20-foot radius. Cherry, pear, apricot and plum trees require 20 feet of spacing.

The same rule of thumb applies to dwarf-size fruit trees; they require at least a 10-foot radius around them. Staggering each row of trees optimizes space so that a greater number of trees can be successfully planted in a given area. Staggering fruit trees also decreases the likelihood of trees shading each other when the angle of the sun is low.