Apple Tree Orchard. Plant clover or grass?

[James P. Bipps]

Any recommendations on what type of clover I should plant amongst my apple trees or should I just plant grass?

 

[Bowsnbucks]

If you're gonna do any spraying for bugs on your trees, you don't want clover. Your spray will kill the bees. I have grass in our fruit tree areas. Just drive through with the riding mower. FWIW.

 

[Prof.Kent]

I planted clover in my new orchard. It was a forest before I planted the orchard. Eventually (in 3-5 years) native grasses will take over unless clover is reseeded, but until then the clover will add nitrogen to the soil. Mow the clover before the clover blossoms or after the blossoms go to seed so you don't spray the bees with insecticide.

 

[Barndog56]

I'm going with red clover and alfalfa in my orchard. The legumes will provide all the nitrogen my trees will ever need, and won't die off during a dry summer so they keep feeding the soil biology. I'm also going to be planting other beneficial plants around my trees, ones that bring up nutrients, or attract beneficial insects.

The last thing i would want is plain grass as the root mass it creates sucks up too much water. Although I will be using winter rye for nutrient cycling.

 

[H20fwler]

I have a clover mix along with chicory in mine the grass will come on it's own, second year the chicory can get pretty tall I don't mow or spray. I have added different stuff as the mood hits me like wildflower seed/Durana clover/trefoil/partridge pea and might throw a little buckwheat in next spring. My theory is why not have stuff in the orchard that is also good feed for everything and cover instead of just a manicured lawn look, mine is 99% for wildlife anyway.

 

[cavey]

Clover, it turns your orchard into another food plot... fixes nitrogen, good for the bees... I do kill the ground cover around the base of the trees out 3-4 feet to remove cover for mice... having clover around your trees just makes sense - double your drawing power.

 

[bigboreblr]

found this old thread. I got some seeding to do around planted trees.

I also prepped spots in febuary for apple trees I will be planting in august or so. They're growing in rootmaker pots right now. Should I just cover where the tree's weedmat will be for now, just hit it with some grass seed n mow?

Anybody have experience with orchardgrass? Wonder if it's good for actual orchards or not. I do spray for insects, so I want to be mindful of attracting bees

 

[H20fwler]

found this old thread. I got some seeding to do around planted trees.

I also prepped spots in febuary for apple trees I will be planting in august or so. They're growing in rootmaker pots right now. Should I just cover where the tree's weedmat will be for now, just hit it with some grass seed n mow?

Anybody have experience with orchardgrass? Wonder if it's good for actual orchards or not. I do spray for insects, so I want to be mindful of attracting bees

After about eight years the orchard grass has pretty much taken over. I do have some clover but not much, chicory is long gone. I mow maybe four or five times a year now when the grass gets around a foot tall.
It does look nice and helps keep weeds down, my road screen conifers are big enough to block the view from the road now.
Deer, pheasants and turkeys hang out in the grass early mornings and evenings regularly. I didn’t see them in there like that until I started mowing the grass.
I think it is a transition area for them being right next to the native grass pasture. That orchard is an acre I think with around 60 fruit trees.

 

[MW22392]

Are mature deer comfortable using an open orchid in daylight? I’ve wondered how important shrub cover is in an orchid, I feel like most of the photos I see of mature deer eating fruit are night time photos.

 

[goatman]

I had a four year old bedding next to my house. He would check the pear tree several times a day when the wind blew.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Are mature deer comfortable using an open orchid in daylight? I’ve wondered how important shrub cover is in an orchid, I feel like most of the photos I see of mature deer eating fruit are night time photos.

We don't usually see mature bucks in the orchard in daylight. Deer eat in our food plots during the day at times, but the apple trees get traffic when there are apples on the trees. They clean up the drops readily. Our camp is in the NC mountains too - so we're in the same neighborhood.

We have grass in our orchard, grass & weeds around outlying apple trees spread around the property.

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

I've killed mature bucks feeding in my orchard, but that orchard is surrounded by woods on 3 sides, so they feel somewhat safe feeding there in daylight. Older bucks still don't spend nearly as much time there in daylight as younger deer.

 

[bigboreblr]

The more secluded you can make a spot, the better. IF it seems unreasonable to do something in a spot, they'll still come.

Bucks will always try to avoid the light pre-rut. they're idiots in the rut, and afterwards they're on a mission to eat.

PErsonally, I hunt early, hunt some during the rut, and work the late season hard. Might be because flintlocks are a hobby of mine on top of hunting. Seen some real nice shy ones folks miss out on.

MAke sure you trees are in the open right near them. Tall grass and understory brush is a magent for voles n rabbits, top enemies of apple trees. In loose soils, the voles can be more damaging than any other animal out there.