What to grow under apple tree?

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What to grow under apple tree?

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Hairyloon

Joined: 20 Nov 2008
Posts: 15425
Location: Today I are mostly being in Yorkshire.

Posted: Mon Apr 16, 18 10:48 pm Post subject: What to grow under apple tree?
I had a session on the allotment today: dug over and weeded under the apple tree. Now I'm wondering what to plant there, to grow instead of weeds...

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15966

Posted: Tue Apr 17, 18 6:12 am Post subject:
If they are well enough established you can grass the area over, but they do need to be established first and growing on well. Traditionally I think sheep were grazed between standard apple trees. Can't think of any crop that would be suitable.

derbyshiredowser

Joined: 11 Feb 2007
Posts: 980
Location: derbyshire

Posted: Tue Apr 17, 18 7:59 am Post subject:
We had a comfrey patch under the tree canopy around 6 ft from the trunk for many years and have had very many apples and two or three cuts of comfrey each year.

gz

Joined: 23 Jan 2009
Posts: 8916
Location: Ayrshire, Scotland

Posted: Tue Apr 17, 18 8:38 am Post subject:
As a side point I think that pear trees don't like grass/competition..certainly the ones I had increased cropping when I cleared around them,the apples were ok with grass.

Slim

Joined: 05 Mar 2006
Posts: 6612
Location: New England (In the US of A)

Posted: Tue Apr 17, 18 10:49 am Post subject:
There are lots of proposed "apple tree guilds" out there to draw inspiration from. Frequently focusing on deep rooted plants that will block out grass so the tree doesn't have as much competition in the shallow rooting zone.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46207
Location: yes

Posted: Tue Apr 17, 18 11:15 am Post subject:
gooseberries can be quite apple friendly, it worked well for grannie and grannie was almost always right about such things im not sure it would work in an orchard but around one or a few trees it seems quite effective.

Hairyloon

Joined: 20 Nov 2008
Posts: 15425
Location: Today I are mostly being in Yorkshire.

Posted: Tue Apr 17, 18 12:41 pm Post subject:

dpack wrote:

gooseberries can be quite apple friendly, it worked well for grannie and grannie was almost always right about such things

Might be a bit scratchy when you come to pick the apples, but my gooseberry bushes have been busy breeding, so that looks like a good plan.

Thank you.

Behemoth

Joined: 01 Dec 2004
Posts: 19023
Location: Leeds

Posted: Tue Apr 17, 18 1:22 pm Post subject:
Ive done that recently, not out of any plan, just that it was a handy space. So far the gooseberry seems OK.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46207
Location: yes

Posted: Tue Apr 17, 18 1:25 pm Post subject:

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Wed Apr 18, 18 9:34 pm Post subject:
Daffodils are traditional. Apparently the Herefordshire orchards grew daffs under the apple trees and mistletoe in them so they could have three crops to sell from the space - daffs in spring, apples in autumn and mistletoe in winter. Probably not what you want for an allotment, though.

Hairyloon

Joined: 20 Nov 2008
Posts: 15425
Location: Today I are mostly being in Yorkshire.

Posted: Thu Apr 19, 18 4:49 pm Post subject:
Daffodils could work... https://youtu.be/D6nottAilQw?t=3m19s

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