[Seagull]

Please can anyone tell me what, if anything, you can plant under new fruit trees?  Or is it best to just mulch?

Many thanks.

[mumofstig]

I'd just mulch them, for at least the first few years.

[Yorkie]

I agree. There will be competition for water and nutrients, and you don't want to either prevent your trees from getting the best possible start, or disturb the roots by planting something which you later dig up and harvest.

I think I remember a suggestion that trees should have a 1m radius? (diameter??) clear gap around the trunk (i.e. not even grass) to prevent that competition.

[Seagull]

Thank you for the advice!

[Ema]

I have 4, 3 year old fruit trees I have all sorts growing around them, red currents and roses between them, foxgloves and other shallow rooted flowers in between these. They have a good mulch of composted bark around there bases about 1m in diameter

[Gardener and Rabbit]

I have Spring bulbs between my fruit cordons: snowdrops, crocus, and miniature daffodils. They provide some early flowers for the pollinators, and have died down by the time the fruit trees are in full growth.

G&R