Apple trees and shrubs

[Ben.MN/WI]

I'm going to expand my apple plot this spring by about 12 trees and I've cleared larger trees from the area my apples will be planted. I've noticed that my new orchard area has the best shrubs (gray dogwood, hazelnut, raspberry bushes) on my property so I'm thinking about leaving the shrubs and planting my apple trees right in with them. Has anyone intentionally left shrubs in an apple plot, and if so, what was the result? Right now the shrubs are scattered every few yards since in the past they were competing with larger trees. I chopped down the larger trees, so next year it will likely just be my new apple trees and these shrubs.

I'm a little concerned that the shrubs might steal water and nutrients and make life tough on the apple trees for the first few years, but after that I think the apples should hold their own. I think a shrub thicket with standard sized apple trees growing above them would be great for deer and small game in the long term. Let me know if any of you have tried anything like this-

 

[chummer]

I love the idea. I have started to add shrubs back to where my apple trees and plots are. I put silky dog wood, elder berry, and midwest crabs around the perimeter. This year I am adding ninebark, and more dogwoods to the inside of the plot to break it up. I have about 15 old native apple trees and 40 caged trees after this years plantings. By the time the trees start producing I want less plots and more shrubs for cover. Three years of plots and I have yet to see a buck during daylight so I have to change something. I see no reason why it wouldn't work if you don't mind loosing some plot area.