Growing crops around fruit trees.

Hi guys, just starting work on my kitchen garden. I have a reasonable size area that contains several established fruit trees, two apple, a plum and a peach, all which yealded well last year, too many peaches in fact. I'm planning raised beds with gravel paths. Thinking of putting a 3-4ft boarder of timber round each tree, not a raised bed. Can I plant anything in there, thinking other fruits, strawberries, rhubarb, other soft berries, or should I just mulch the area.

Cheers.

 

first plant fruit which is most healthy in the world.You need vitamins.Not only food contain sufficient dosis of vitamins.I have first plant Actinidia kolomikta,mail and femail plant, some good sort.Best sort is Vitakola,its hard to get so start with some at hand.Plant it to stick or pergola.
Second: plant bushes of lonicera kamtschatica or close to it specie,rather two pieces each another sort.Best sort is Amur and Altai.continue next.

 

its not a good idea to plant around young tree...but as your established trees should be ok. You dont want anything to hungry that will out compete the fruit trees (unless of course the fruit yeild isnt of great miportance to you). Cut and come lettuce or not too vigerous herbs may be a good option. Remeber that even a light crop will be taking from the soil so add some extra feed and organic matter to compensate.

Please let us know what you decide on...I think getting the most from available space is important...and as populations increase and grow your own becomes essential (and it will), we will need every inch of ground.

 

are they providing shade? i mean your established trees, if so then anything will be a struggle around them,
as plantman said lettuce, as quick to grow, but if there is shade not much else really, just mulch it if you have more space for the veggies.

 

What might be worth a try is climbing beans up the trees, either runner or french, personally I'd go for french. They fix nitrogen which is good for leafy growth, though they'll not do much for fruit development, but you can correct this by adding potash. They also develop quite late so shouldn't inhibit fruit development.

 

Hi Big Baddad

I wouldn't underplant established fruit trees if I were you.

I suspect any veg grown under the branches of fruit trees would struggle and not be very good specimens. They'd also get in the way when you want to access your trees for spraying, thinning, picking, etc.

If you have a reasonable size area already, I'd give your fruit trees their best chance by just mulching them. Additional growing space can be achieved in other ways e.g. gro-bags.

 

...too negative I think...if your trees have been thinned and pruned (as they should to increase air circulation) pleanty of light can get in....the allotment site I garden in has some really shaded plots - the growers their get great results (I know the shade from trees is different but still) If you want an absolute banker alpine strawberries they grow anywhere - while they dont produce huge amounts of fruit and those they do are tiny - they are very nice and nice to just pick hanfulls to eat there and then on a hot day.