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Post by ottawagardener on Feb 9, 2011 9:59:46 GMT -5
Looking for recommendations for green mulches/nurse crops to go under fruiting trees/bushes while being established. I'm thinking of growing some weedy ground covers that won't overcompete and can be cut down a couple times in the year to form a mulch.
Thoughts?
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Post by garnetmoth on Feb 9, 2011 10:11:27 GMT -5
I bought packs of Orchard Grass and Timothy Grass from Seeds Trust. I mixed them with some alfalfa I had, and couldnt establish last fall with the drought. I am trying to wait patiently until its thawed here to get the rest of the volunteer Rose of Sharon and a few oaks and flowers up and plant this mix around our dwarf fruiting crabapples.
I will likely trim it, feed it to the rabbits, and then top dress with rabbit manure, but yeah, mulch :-)
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Post by mjc on Feb 9, 2011 12:24:57 GMT -5
Vetches and clovers are good choices. So is alfalfa.
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Post by ottawagardener on Feb 9, 2011 12:28:29 GMT -5
I was also thinking comfrey but I'm afraid that it would be too invasive?? I like the fact that it has a broadleaf that would help exclude weeds.
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Post by grunt on Feb 9, 2011 13:23:10 GMT -5
Don't use comfrey unless you want it forever.
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Post by mjc on Feb 9, 2011 15:07:40 GMT -5
The Russian hybrid wouldn't be too bad...since it only spreads by root division. An orchard is a kind of permanent thing, so something that is somewhat permanent, itself AND a known bee attractor isn't necessarily a bad thing.
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Post by ottawagardener on Feb 9, 2011 16:03:01 GMT -5
They sell the Russian hybrid at Ritchers (I believe). Maybe I'll get that.
Yeah, Grunt, that is why I'm wavering.
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Post by trixtrax on Feb 9, 2011 19:17:09 GMT -5
Yes, use bocking 14 comfrey since it only clumps out and doesn't spread willy-nilly. Unless our rototill it... then you have instant swath of comfrey. Comfrey's root zone is up to 45ft in the ground, if it can reach that far, which helps assist the shallow rootzone of apples. Also, it builds good soil with almost unmatched quickness, some things that rival it or out compete it that I can think of off the top of my head are extremely invasive, Japanese Knotweed and Himalayan Balsalm (aka Policeman's Helmet). Plant any mulch plants around the dripline in a ring so that they can receive nutrients off the tree and so that they don't interfere with the trunk. Even a small amount of comfrey helps, even if you never cut it since it self-mulches. The other biodynamic plants, valerian, roman chamomile, yarrow, dandelion, plantain spp. all work well planted in a guild around the comfrey, just make sure they are planting near the mulchline of the comfrey and not too close as to be smoothered and to give them a chance to spread outwards as the comfrey clump increases in size. Grunt is right comfrey is mostly permanent, but persistence can remove it. But, I'd say in a orchard it'd be a good thing. Just don't plant grasses, plant anything broadleafed true-flowering over grasses. Grasses compete really well with the shallow roots of the fruit trees, generally speaking, especially extremely rhizamatous grasses like Reed Canary grass. Generally I use mulches of mallow species including the woody ones, they would be a good choice under the trees. Onion species and other bulb species near the tree bases benefit the tree in a few ways including helping keep plants and grasses from growing up the trunk. Also, onions seem to help rose-family plants prevent diseases. Horseradish out on the dripline is useful too in keeping pests away and in also being a self-mulching dynamic accumulator, like the comfrey. Finally, any plants that are common or native to your area that produce copious mulch could be good candidates under the trees.
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Post by trixtrax on Feb 9, 2011 19:42:13 GMT -5
One thing I forgot to say is also include plants that attract beneficial insects, especially plants with small flowers, like plants in the Scrophulariaceae.
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Post by mnjrutherford on Feb 9, 2011 23:12:39 GMT -5
Mustard is traditional in vineyards... but there is the "forever" issue with that. I'm working on putting lavender in our truffle orchard which will be beneficial in a number of ways and is also a traditional "partner" with truffles. The bees love it and I understand that lavender honey is a very special honey indeed. I have read that the chemicals released from the roots of the lavender assist the truffles in their process of "infecting" the orchard with their mycillium (that is spelled wrong). It is insect resistant. It doesn't need a whole lot of water. It's a profitable crop, assuming I can stop stuffing it into every nook and cranny of my house...
I would also think that some woody herbs like thyme, sage, or oregano would be pretty cool, functional, and useful as well.
TrixTrax, I tried horseradish in very small scale against Colorado Potato Beetle (CPB) last year. It didn't do a darn bit of good. However, I had it in pots at the corners of the patch. I think I should have just been bold and put it straight into the patch. What are your experiences with horseradish?
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Post by grunt on Feb 10, 2011 0:14:08 GMT -5
Horse radish is as much fun to get rid of as comfrey.
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Post by synergy on Feb 10, 2011 2:04:19 GMT -5
mnjrutherford, that is the first i ever heard of a truffle orchard, so I googled and found them growing on the west coast and friendly in our zone too. I am already planting hazelnut so now think I might get some innoculated trees to interplant. I found black truffle growing in my woodfibre riding ring the last two years and didn't have a clue what it was until I identified it this year, they look like hunks of some sort of unrefined petroleum, I did not even know it was a fungus first seeing them. I was going to take pictures and an assistant turned a horse loose in the ring and it trampled the area.
How did you plant yours? I will plant a conventional 12 feet between trees but I see others plant a thick row.
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Post by ottawagardener on Feb 10, 2011 8:46:06 GMT -5
I guess I was leaning toward the yarrow/clover/dandelion nutrient accumulating kind a thing but with weed (with the exception of those ones, I guess I mean grassy ones) exclusion capabilities. I'm fairly certain that the above three probably are already growing where I am going to be putting trees. The question is whether or not to get Comfrey as it seems to be the best candidate for weed exclusion. Anything else?
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Post by ottawagardener on Feb 10, 2011 8:47:40 GMT -5
Trixtrax: Yes, I am wondering what is naturally weed excluding and growing nearby that is also native and not too competitive. I'd love a truffle orchard  |
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Post by mnjrutherford on Feb 10, 2011 9:20:18 GMT -5
Horse radish is as much fun to get rid of as comfrey. Oh I disagree Dan! Horseradish is MUCH more fun to get rid of as one must have a beautiful roasted prime rib of beef upon which to dispose of it. ::drool:: Leftovers should be generously deposited into meatloaf and meat dumplings. One thing I found out this year is that I could certainly do with more horseradish in my life. I'm hooked on having it fresh. The jarred garbage in the stores just don't measure up. And if you're shelling out for decent beef, it justifies good quality horseradish. |
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