[surbie100]

I was thinking of having espalier fruit trees as a living hedge for my plot. The plan is to get at the trees and the fruit from the paths round the edge. And grow the branches along the edge of my raised beds.

I can find info on underplanting normal trees, where the responses talk a lot about shade, but not trained trees.

How much room should I leave around the base of the trees, given that I want to have raised beds with veg in near them and espalier trees to a height of 3-4 arms. Is a square metre enough?

Or is this a completely daft idea?

[Trillium]

I've never found it a good idea to underplant below trees, least so fruit trees. They'll be in direct competition with whatever you plant and the roots will always rise to just below the surface in search of nutrients and moisture. It's mostly a choice of fruit or underplanting since you'll need to feed the tree regularly with (I'm guessing) manure and that will create fierce competition with both areas.

Even though you'll be training the branches espalier style, the roots will still stretch out in a wide diameter for their needs. The only things I'd plant under the espaliers is maybe small, shallow-rooted flowers like pansies, violas, nigellas, etc  or let a rambling plant like winter squash or cukes trail over that area.

[mumofstig]

In the old walled kitchen gardens, as shown in Victorian Kitchen Garden, they look as if they leave 3 or 4ft 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/80/Harry_Dodson_in_the_Victorian_Kitchen_Garden_-_geograph.org.uk_-_588009.jpg

[angelavdavis]

I underplant my espaliered fruit trees which grow along the boundary of my plot. 

I ensure I give the whole bed a good potash feed and top with rotted manure every spring (just done it).  I used the forest planting concept as a guide. 

I have the trees trained on wires, then in the gaps in between I plant black, white and red currant bushes in front of the trees (about a foot or so in front).  I then under plant these with strawberries.  This is in a south facing dedicated fruit bed though - I don't think I would risk growing vegetables underneath as you need to constantly disturb the soil, whereas, by using it for more permanent plants this isn't as necessary.  The whole bed is planted through weed suppressant, which I peel back in spring and mulch underneath, lay back down and top mulch with some composted bark chips.

Having seen trained fruit at the back of perennial borders, I thought it was worth looking into a bit more - which is when I stumbled upon the forest planting concept. 

I have found the benefit of doing all this, is that I just chuck the bird netting over the wires and place supports at the front of the bed to form a kind of tent.  I have had fruit from the espaliers, bushes and strawberry plants. 

Oh, I also have stepovers which I am training, and I don't underplant these obviously!

[surbie100]

Thanks for the replies and the link - Angela, I don't suppose there is a chance of a photo? I can't quite get my head round the explanation (it's been a long week and I am currently a bear of very little brain!). I'd like to crack it before I put in my permanent soft fruit beds, if I can. Though that was supposed to be this weekend....

Edit to add this
Actually, south-facing - that escaped me! Will try and get the plot boundary sorted with the Chair this weekend.

[angelavdavis]

I had a look on photobucket to add to my previous post, but I only have images of individual plants.  I will try to remember to take one tomorrow when I am on the plot.