planting around an apple tree

[tutti]

I have a few 2 1/2 year old apple trees on the semi-vigorous mm106 rootstock that I planted in a long, wide border a few years ago. I had cleared the border of all plants and have kept it free of weeds for the past few years. Now the trees are growing quite well and the border is still empty of other plants, I would like to put some plants in it.

I'd like advice on what I could plant in the border, which is semi shaded/ quite shaded and will also eventually have to cope with the added shede of the tree canopies. I should add that the apple trees on half standards that have grow upwards out of the shaded border and now they get a good amount of sun (unlike the border beneath!)

I know the correct thing to do is always keep a square metre around the base of the tree free from any plants, so as to allow the tree to thrive. Is it ok to plant everywhere else? Should I plant smaller rooted plants or can I put some shrubs in? Is there anything I could plant to maybe benefit the trees? Is some form of groundcover plant acceptable? How about Ivy, planted away from the tree and allow to spread over the ground? Are plants in sunken pots around the tree a good idea?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, as I haven't a clue - as well as being fed up with looking at an empty border and having to continuously weed it!

Thanks

[cheops]

I think it is a wonderful idea to have a colourful carpet around the base of the tree and provided the plants you choose are quite shallow rooted how can that be detrimental to the tree? A tree will search for the nutrients it needs and in this case will search below any ground plants, I should think.
If you concentrate on spring flowers that will add to and compliment the apple blossom then the shade will be no problem. So miniature daffodils, crocus, snowdrops, cyclamen in a combination of your choice or just a carpet of one would look stunning. And with the bonus of once planted job done for years to come. If you want interest and a bit of colour later in the year instead why not a carpet of Lily of the Valley - beautifully scented and dwarf varieties are now available. Winter pansies in the wintertime?? There are many more possibilities.

[roitelet]

How about hardy Geraniums? They will stand the dry conditions under trees.

[Losos]

How about Ivy, planted away from the tree and allow to spread over the ground?

OMG no please NOT Ivy. We've just moved into a house where the garden is covered with it and it has almost killed the pear tree, climbing right up the trunk, and over the lower branches. It will take me years to get rid of it

There are a number of reasons you may be away from home for an extended period and Ivy wll grab that opportunity to take over.

Some of th eother idea sound OK, like the idea of pots sunk into the ground, not heard that one before.

[chrisdb]

Ground elder will happily cover the ground in even the shadiest locations. Just saying...

Ground covers / low growing plants you could try that will tolerate at least some shade:

Lemon balm
Many mints (I've tried using Pennyroyal, but be aware they do spread)
Wild garlic
Asarabacca
Sweet Woodruff
Mock strawberry
Wild strawberry
Lungwort
Sweet Violet
Rock Cranesbill
Periwinkle
Self-heal
Lily of the Valley

[Alison]

I have some alpine strawberries under mine

[rosiepumpkin]

I have a mature apple tree with its canopy overlapping the mature horse chestnut not far away. I have the best crop of wild garlic on the allotment site. We cut down the mature bramley that was next to it and in the ground under the former apple, we're planting rhubarb, redcurrants and strawberries. In the dry shade in the other corner, under another mature horse chestnut, a plum tree and very tall leylandii, hardy geraniums romp away when nothing should be able to live its that dark. Even a hydrangea is still hanging on. Don't plant ivy as it's pulling down another of the leylandii that was nearly as tall as the horse chestnut before the ivy started oulling it over. Also, the mention of ground elder was a joke. Wild garlic is my recommendation, it's amazing.

[chrisdb]

The only downside of wild garlic, apart from the strong smell, is that it doesn't last all year. It grows in Spring, then dies back in early Summer and waits until the same time next year.

I think it probably works best in combination with something else that'll stick around for the rest of the year. That something else probably shouldn't be lily of the valley, since the two look similar but unlike wild garlic lily of the valley is poisonous.

[bearded bloke]

Look at the woodland plants that grow through the seasons in your area

[tutti]

Thanks for the wonderful suggestions everyone - please keep them coming. I love the idea of a colourful spring carpet beneath the trees, so will definitely look into that. The other plants all sound wonderful too, but I need to google them to have a look at what they'e like, as some are new to me. I'll have to consider flowering times as I'd like to get near to all-year interest as possible.

I should have added the soil is naturally clay based and being in the shade, heavy and wet. However, over the years I have been adding to the top, so that is pretty good.

I've a quite large border - 11m x 3.5m, so thought some form over ground cover that spread quite quickly would help to fill the space.

I know the Ivy idea could sound alarming, hence was looking for a variety that would not keep taking root, but rather cover the surface with evergreen leaves. I've seen it in some woodland park areas and like the look of all the glossy green leaves. Yes, it would climb up the trunks, but I thought I could trim it back, or trail it away from the tree in the opposite direction. Does that sound plausible?

[veggiechicken]

Don't use ivy, its sneaky and creeps around when you're not looking.
Snowdrops, then crocus, mini daffs, then bluebells, primroses, strawberries. Include some evergreen plants for year round interest like thyme, sage and prostrate rosemary, which will also attract bees to pollinate your apples. Maybe more herbs - marjoram/oregano and lavender.

[chrisdb]

Thyme, Rosemary and lavender all dislike shade, so they'll need the sunniest bit, maybe the edge, to do well. I've found oregano to be very shade tolerant though

[tutti]

Thanks again. I've a whole new planting scheme to ponder now. Really appreciated. Being a humble "germinator," how much maintenance do herbs need? Could I maybe plant something like lavender in a line at the edge of the border? I have a path that runs along it, and kind of like the idea of brushing past it and getting that wonderful scent in the air. Also, how about small evergreen shrubs? Are they too deep rooted?

[Penellype]

I used to have an orchard with loads of large apple trees and bare soil between. I marked out a metre circle round each with stones and planted all the wild bulbs that seeded themselves all over the veg garden - there were snowdrops, bluebells, chinodoxa, grape hyacinth and ornithogalum, and they thrived there. Very pretty in the spring, and the foliage had died down well before it was time to pick up windfall apples. I then grew shade tolerant fruit and veg in the rest, including wild strawberries, rhubarb and leeks. They were big trees, so the ground underneath was very shady indeed in summer. Here, with a dwarf apple tree in a border, I grow shade tolerant annuals round it, often lobelia, although I have also used begonias for a change of colour.

[chrisdb]

Thanks again. I've a whole new planting scheme to ponder now. Really appreciated. Being a humble "germinator," how much maintenance do herbs need? Could I maybe plant something like lavender in a line at the edge of the border? I have a path that runs along it, and kind of like the idea of brushing past it and getting that wonderful scent in the air. Also, how about small evergreen shrubs? Are they too deep rooted?

I really would just plant stuff and not worry too much as long as it stays low. You don't want anything too tall since if it blocks light the tree will start to grow away from it instead of spreading evenly. You also want to make sure that anything you plant doesn't block access in the autumn and winter when you're going to be harvesting and pruning, which is where herbaceous stuff has the advantage over woody shrubs.

But from a root competition point of view, don't worry too much once the trees are established unless your soil is really poor. Plenty of people plant trees on mm106 in the middle of their lawn which somehow survive, and grass is just about the most competitive thing you can have growing around a young tree. Any broad-leaved woodland plants you pick are almost guaranteed to be more compatible with growing fruit trees than that.

I have a 4 year old Howgate Wonder apple tree on mm106, and apart from a 1m^2 mulch mat around it it has the following scattered around near it:

Borage (deep tap-root)
Marigolds
Pennyroyal (a mint - spreads quite aggressively)
Buddleia
Gooseberries
Wild strawberries (shallow rooted, spreads via runners)
Globe artichokes

On the opposite side of the path that runs near the tree there are jerusalem artichokes (these are so aggressive when you don't harvest most of the tubers that they''ve even managed to thin out the ground elder that used to live in that corner), chinese rhubarb, japanese wineberries, and a nearby leylandii hedge belonging to the neighbour.

Despite a dense layer of low-growing plants nearby and competition from the nearby hedge, it seems to be perfectly happy, grows quite vigorously, and easily out-grew a huge aphid attack in the spring.

And if you think the competition is harming your trees, you can always put down some mulch and kill everything off again.