We are starting an orchard down in our bottom field. Last year about the end of February we planted 8 trees, 2 apple, 2 pear, 2 plum and 2 cherry. We planted them with bonemeal and dried horse manure (fumier cheval) and put in stakes about the same height as the trees. When we bought them the chap at the garden centre pruned them back fiercely (they ended up basically as twigs) but luckily they took well and we soon had nice bushy little trees and we even had a single pear. This year we are going to add some more, in particular peaches. Fingers crossed we get more than a single pear this year!