Plant associations - Fruit Trees

[jasonvivier]

In the woods we can see low growing ferns and herbaceous plants growing under trees. In your orchards or around your fruit trees are you utilizing any intentional plant communities or are you just pulling off the 'mulch and mow' routine?

 

[baymule]

can I answer this next year after I plant my fruit trees?

 

[Nyboy]

Still planting the trees, what would you suggest zone 6 of the Hudson valley.

 

[jasonvivier]

Still planting the trees, what would you suggest zone 6 of the Hudson valley.

What kind of trees?

Very generally; I look for mulch plants (Comfrey, Siberian pea shrub, rhubarb), nutrient accumulators (Comfrey, horseradish) , nitrogen fixers (Siberian pea shrub, scarlet runner bean), and ground covers (strawberries, wild ginger, mint) but it depends on the tree.

*Siberian pea shrubs, need to be cut back regularly after about year three and used as mulch or they will start to grow over.
*Many varieties of comfrey and mint spread, I personally don't have any problem with that - some people do. If you want Comfrey that doesn't spread look for Bocking varieties.
*When dormant you can collect most varieties of Scarlet runner bean roots and store them during the winter - they will grow back when replanted in the spring with a much larger root system.
*Wild ginger is the best in those seriously dark spaces.

 

[Smart Red]

Mulch, mow, and hoping for a better choice.

 

[Smart Red]

Apple, peach, pear, cherry (tart), cherry (sweet), apricot, plum, American persimmon, hazelnut, and heartnut are my tree varieties.

 

[Nyboy]

I am planting apple, pear, peach, fig and mulberry.

 

[Smart Red]

Right, mulberry! Like that is a tree you have to plan for and purchase. Hah! They grow anywhere and everywhere you don't watch constantly. Which do you prefer? Black or white? We have 'em both coming up all over.

Of course, I don't know which is which until years later when they fruit. It seems the birds seldom drop the seeds close to Mother tree.

 

[bobm]

In Cal. which produces more fruit and nut crops than any other area of the country, grows their trees in neat rows with the ground space that contains the trunks in bare ground to maintain drip irrigation lines in working order, as well as for tree maintenance, and machine and / or migrant labor harvesting using ladders .( OSHA rules ) The ground space under the tree canopy is often planted with barley as green mulch in the winter then disced under, or with turf grasses and kept mowed. If the orchard is using flood irrigation, then bare ground. If one was to plant the plants as was suggested for a back yard orchard , one would have a more difficult time in husbandry tasks than is necessary for a healthy orchard tree and a more difficult time in moving ladders when harvesting or pruning not to mention SAFER if and when climbing a ladder during harvesting or pruning.

 

[Nyboy]

@Smart Red there are almost as many varieties of mulberry as there are varieties of apple. Like any other fruit tree named variety much better fruit then wild. I have a ever bearing that fruits are almost 2 inches and produces all summer. many people think mulberry much better then cherry. Red if you know how to graft i send you some branches of named variety you can graft on wild tree. I read somewhere the only reason you don't see mulberry at market is they don't travel well. Did you know mulberry leaves make the best rabbit food?