Trend podizanja trajnih nasada u Hrvatskoj, a naročito jabuke kao najzastupljenije od svih voćnih kultura, u punom je jeku. Da bi se taj trend nastavio, potrebno je posložiti dosta čimbenika (uređenje poljoprivrednog zemljišta, koncesija ili zakup, povoljniji krediti, veće državne potpore). Kad se prođu ti početni problemi, javljaju se dvojbe: odabir sortimenta i uzgojnog oblika, priprema zemljišta, nabava odgovarajuće mehanizacije. U Hrvatskoj, nažalost, još uvijek postoje dvojbe oko ekonomske isplativosti sistema za navodnjavanje te protugradne mreže. Nema sumnje, današnji intenzivan uzgoj jabuke u gustom sklopu stavlja pred voćare velike zahtjeve te je podizanje jednog takvog nasada financijski velika investicija. Pri tome se naravno očekuje što brži povrat uloženih sredstava u podizanje nasada kao i što veća ekonomičnost proizvodnje. Dakle, danas se u intenzivnom uzgoju jabuke traži što brži ulazak sadnice u rod, što ranije postizanje konačne produktivne površine, odnosno pune rodnosti te redovit i obilan rod. Naravno, kao što je već i spomenuto, podizanje takvog nasada je financijski velika investicija te se pri tome najčešće pokušava uštedjeti gdje god je to moguće. No redovito, takvi pokušaji uštede imaju financijski negativne posljedice. Nažalost, jedan od elementa na kojem se najviše štedi je nabava kvalitetnog sadnog materijala. Pokušat ćemo prikazati koliko je važno posaditi voćnjak s kvalitetnim sadnicama te tako smanjiti količinu ljudskog rada u prvim godinama voćnjaka, povećati urod po stablu, a samim tim povećati financijsku dobit u prvim godinama nakon sadnje.The trend of creating permanent plantations in Croatia, and especially of apples as the most common among all fruit cultures, is at its full. In order to keep this trend going, it is necessary to meet a lot of factors (sorting our agricultural areas, concession or lease, more favourable loans, higher state subventions…). When these initial problems are solved, there are some doubts regarding the selection of sorts, growing form, preparation of soil, appropriate mechanization supply, and in Croatia unfortunately there are still doubts about the economic cost-effectiveness of irrigation systems and hail-defense networks. There is no doubt that the modern intensive apple growing is very demanding for the fruit-gowers, and that the cration of such a plantation is a big financial investment. Of course, the return on the funds invested in plantations creation is expected as soon as possible, as well as the efficiency of production. Therefore, today in the intensive apple growing what is required is seedlings giving fruit as soon as possible, realization of the final productive area and regular and large yield as early as possible. Of course, as we have already mentioned, the creation of such a plantation is a big financial investment, so savings are made wherever possible. However, such savings efforts have financially negative consequences. Unfortunately, one element on which it is saved the most is the acquisition of the quality seedling material. In this article we are going to try to show how important it is to plant an orchard with quality seedlings and how to reduce the amount of human work in the first years of orchards, increase the yield per tree, and by this increase the financial gain in the first years after the planting
