Good idea or not?

[cheops]

Am gonna soon plant a czar plum tree in a lawn. Around the tree I will have an eighteen inch diameter circle which will be bare soil. My question is - leave this bare earth circle in the lawn as bare earth or would ajuga bugleweed be a nice addition to grow and flower at the foot of the tree. I think this would look good and good for the bees, but thinking of the plum tree should there only be weeded earth around it?

[Angeldon]

I find that in my garden Ajuga suffers in dry soil which would probably be the case beneath a plum - I have a crab apple underplanted with Francoa which looks good all year round (the seed heads are still giving a great display) and the tree still fruits like crazy!

[cheops]

Thx Angeldon. I can keep the ajuga watered. I was wondering is it ok to have a low growing plant around the base of a fruit tree. You have answered this for me. Thanks.

[Thelma Sanders]

I always thought that you had to keep the area weed/plant free for a couple of years to give the tree time to establish.

[cheops]

Thelma that was also at the back of my mind. Let's see what other peeps think.

[fishpond]

I always thought that you had to keep the area weed/plant free for a couple of years to give the tree time to establish.

Absolutely agree.