Growing through membrance

[pukka.tukka]

Hi

I am thinking of growing my fruit trees at the lotty through membrance, covered with stones, to keep the weed down. Would you recommend this?

Any advice/suggestions greatfully received.

[Hans Mum]

not the same but i'm going to underplant mine with cranberries as a weed control method and an extra crop at the same time think i picked that up on here some time ago

[PAULW]

I grow my raspberries with a thick mulch around them, holds in the moisture and feeds the plant as it breaks down very cheap as contractors deliver it for free to the allotment

[nick the grief]

I wouldn't cover with large stones as it will give hiding places for Slugs & Snails and gravel would be expensive. Whats wrong with just leaving it to grass & keep it mown short.

[rustylady]

If newly planted trees, it is recommended to keep the area around the trunk weed (and plant) free until they are established. I think I would just mulch with well rotted compost (bark chippings might be a bit sus as they could contain honey fungus spores, and you don't want that)

[Benacre]

Do you mean Membranes? My memrane is woodchips and leaf mould AKA mulch.
Much cheaper.
Benacre

[pukka.tukka]

HI Nick the grief

I would like to just leave it grass but this has raised issues with the lotty committee. Several other people have grass around their trees and it has been suggested that they are not using the plot as an allotment.

I was not going to purchase any stones just use the ones from my plots, but forgot all about the slugs & snails.

[Earthbabe]

Depends on the terms of their lease really. Ours states the allotment is for producing fruit and veg for the family's consumption and flowers for the table. Nowhere does it say that growing grass around the trees is forbidden. The plotholder has to keep it "cultivated" . I don't think that means making the trees listen to Classic FM though

[Piper]

Pukka tukka - I can not see how the committee can say you aren't using your plot as an allotment, that is such crap. How can leaving a bit of grass hurt instead of using a mulch. It's not like your not using the space, you just need some ground cover. On our allotment we can grow flowers if we like, just cause they look pretty. Guess it depends where you are. How about growing some strawberries?