Planting around fruit trees

[NY Hunter]

Debated on posting this in the food plot or fruit tree section but looking for some advice on how to safety plant around fruit trees. I used to have a nice clover plot around my fruit trees but over the years the weeds have slowly overtaken it.

I have access to a plow and disc but am worried about cutting the tree roots. I've tried the no till method using buckwheat in the spring/summer but the deer like eating it too much that it doesn't work very well as a cover crop/weed suppressant.

Any other suggestions for the best way to get this plot back into shape without risking harm to the trees?

I've carefully spot sprayed glyphosate and that took care of most of the grasses but there's still a decent amount of broadleaf weeds growing.

Would winter wheat be able to overtake the mowed weeds or should I be looking at no till drill options?

Any advice would be much appreciated!

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[Mortenson]

I'll be interested in your answers, but I've chosen to let my three main orchards go back to grass. When the trees were young, I found myself wanting to maintain a plot in between them all, but with each passing year it just seems more impractical. I'd spend more energy planning for how to prune the trees to be able to mow in between the rows indefinitely. In my opinion, once it's an orchard, it's no longer a traditional food plot.

 

[buckdeer1]

I tilled about 4 inches deep over most of mine last week and spot sprayed weeds with generic liberty after that.I will treat a couple more times and plant clover/chicory mix

 

[Barndog56]

I have about a 50' x 50' corner of my orchard that I try to keep in clover and alfalfa. This is where the natural travel path for my deer goes thru. I overseed winter rye in fall, but don't do any kind of tillage.

Establishing a Pollinator planting to keep bees happy too.

The rest of the orchard just gets mowed about once a month.

 

[NY Hunter]

I like that idea of a light tilling to expose some soil. Have you had any issues with the fruit trees by not going deep or is this the first year you tried it?

Like barndog mentioned keeping the bees around is a good thing for pollination. Clover also makes it's own nitrogen so it would be a nice to have growing around the trees aside from the fact the deer like it too.

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[bigboreblr]

Clover makes nitrogen. Excess nitrogen will be used up by other plants. You can tolerate the weeds, or plant something else to take up the extra nitrogen.

I'd avoid using the discs. I'd just throw some winter into it and maybe more clover seed. Daikon radish can be a good choice too. Carefully spray roundup, then throw seed and mow a few days later. I'd avoid cultipacking if possible.

Apple tree roots extend out about 15 feet when mature. I have a double row of apple trees in my backyard. The last trees on my rows are a pair of M7's. They grow smaller so I could till a bit close to the edge of the trees.

You may want to invest in a lighter york rake , lawn thatch rake, or maybe a drag harrow and set the teeth on mild bent back Some no till seeds are very tolerant of thatch, like rye. Clover seeds need seed to soil contact. A tire drag might stir up things too. I have a 150lb or so 4ft tow behind an ATV york rake. A York TA1. I won't be too worried about tree roots, unless they;re exposed like close to the trunk. Pine straw rake is another option.

 

[Electrodigical]

What are those weeds? I swear to God, I saw that picture and said "He must be in NY". lol Then I scrolled back up to see who posted it.

 

[NY Hunter]

Clover makes nitrogen. Excess nitrogen will be used up by other plants. You can tolerate the weeds, or plant something else to take up the extra nitrogen.

I'd avoid using the discs. I'd just throw some winter into it and maybe more clover seed. Daikon radish can be a good choice too. Carefully spray roundup, then throw seed and mow a few days later. I'd avoid cultipacking if possible.

Apple tree roots extend out about 15 feet when mature. I have a double row of apple trees in my backyard. The last trees on my rows are a pair of M7's. They grow smaller so I could till a bit close to the edge of the trees.

You may want to invest in a lighter york rake , lawn thatch rake, or maybe a drag harrow and set the teeth on mild bent back Some no till seeds are very tolerant of thatch, like rye. Clover seeds need seed to soil contact. A tire drag might stir up things too. I have a 150lb or so 4ft tow behind an ATV york rake. A York TA1. I won't be too worried about tree roots, unless they;re exposed like close to the trunk. Pine straw rake is another option.

This is super helpful info. 15 ft out from the tree makes it a little dangerous to do any kind of tilling like I thought. How shallow are the roots on these trees? I've never dug one back up after planting so don't have much experience.

I might try doing some back blading with the teeth on my grapple to scratch things up, similar to the York rake idea. I can confirm the clover needs soil contact. I've tried overseeding on top of sprayed weeds a couple times without much success.

I mixed in radishes a few years ago and they grew well but didn't get very many bulbs because the deer ate all the tops off. In theory it's a good idea to help break up the soil without tilling.

Electrodigical - Glad I'm not the only one that's seen these NY glyphosate resistant mystery weeds! From a distance it looks like nice clover until you look closer lol

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[Tree Spud]

This is super helpful info. 15 ft out from the tree makes it a little dangerous to do any kind of tilling like I thought. How shallow are the roots on these trees? I've never dug one back up after planting so don't have much experience.

I might try doing some back blading with the teeth on my grapple to scratch things up, similar to the York rake idea. I can confirm the clover needs soil contact. I've tried overseeding on top of sprayed weeds a couple times without much success.

I mixed in radishes a few years ago and they grew well but didn't get very many bulbs because the deer ate all the tops off. In theory it's a good idea to help break up the soil without tilling.

Electrodigical - Glad I'm not the only one that's seen these NY glyphosate resistant mystery weeds! From a distance it looks like nice clover until you look closer lol

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Feeder roots which can extend ~20' out from the tree can be 6-8" from the surface.

 

[Electrodigical]

glyphosate resistant mystery weeds! From a distance it looks like nice clover until you look closer lol

"Our" lawn up there is 1/3 grass,1/3 clover, 1/3....that.

Whether the rest of the family knows it or not, I'm the reasons there's so much clover.

 

[Thomasc19]

I just did the same thing this weekend on my relatively young orchard - my trees are 25 feet apart

Leave a 5 foot buffer, I sprayed with glyphosate too and planted rye, oats, and brassicas with a drill. I didn't want to till either. I'm going to overseed/ drill clover in March next year as others have said for the nitrogen.

Since spreading on top of the dead grass isn't going to make great seed-soil contact, I would maybe do a VERY controlled burn of the dead grass-I would think the green grass around the trees would prevent it from getting too close and then overseeding the burnt areas

Good luck!