[Nicki85]

I've planted up my mini orchard with apples, pears, plums, cherries…. they are all on dwarf root stock (M9).  They are all planted, as according to guidelines, 5m away from each other. 

I was going to put black membrane down and cover with chip pings but it seems like such a big space I was wondering if I could do anything else with it.  I want to keep it low maintenance but happy to cut/mow now and then!





Any ideas?
 
There are a couple of rows of rasps and berries that need support (to be built!!) so i'll put a path in-between those.

[Beetroot Queen]

If you bark you could grow strawberries in the bark, mine go over the beds and send roots down into the bark. They would be more than happy growing until i rudely pull their feet from root heaven and stuff them into pots.

[barley]

ohhhh just imagine that full of crocus bulbs and then wild flowers to follow 

[allotmentann]

Yes, my suggestion would be wild flowers too. I bought a whole variety of seeds from Emorsgate seeds, choosing ones that would grow happily in shade/ my soil type etc and that is what I have sown under my little fruit trees.     

[Yorkie]

I wouldn't put grass down.  The recommendation is that you don't have any grass within a 1m diameter of each tree, to minimise competition and allow the tree to get properly established.

There is also the temptation to cut grass near trees by using a strimmer - which almost always leads to accidentally cutting the bark and thus killing the tree if severe enough.

[Madame Cholet]

I've just had a great book bought me for Christmas called ccreating a forst garden by Martin Crawford you can borrow it from the library

[Kirpi]

May I suggest strawberries. I know they are hungry plants, but they can also stand being covered in a good layer of compost around about this time of year to keep nutrients up in the bed and they are woodland plants. Also a way of keeping weeds down and a second crop off the bed.

[Snoop]

Where I live, globe artichoke are popular between almond trees.

[Puenktchen]

Why not sow some wildflowers in between the trees as others suggested but keep the area around the trees free of any growth and cover with bark chips? Here are some ideas of how to create an annual flower meadow http://urbanpollinators.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/how-to-create-annual-flower-meadow.html and a perennial wildflower meadow http://urbanpollinators.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/how-to-create-perennial-flower-meadow_25.html.
This way you will provide food and shelter for beneficial wildlife such as pollinators.

[Trillium]

A lot of people assume all trees send roots deep down, but that isn't the case. There will be one central tap root, and all the rest of the roots fan out close to the surface to bring in more moisture and nutrients. So, planting any crops other than something along all the perimeters isn't recommended. Flower bulbs will hold their own and will attract bees for pollination so they'll be the best choice.

[Madame Cholet]

I've just planted some wild garlic bulbs (ransoms) under two of mine and sorrell under another also erythroniums (dogs tooth violet) which are good to eat apparently.

[solway cropper]

From the pics it looks like you haven't staked them. I'd be inclined to give them some support, certainly for the first few years till they get established although the RHS recommends permanent staking for dwarf trees. On an M9 rootstock they could have gone a bit closer together, say 3-4m apart.

[sunshineband]

Someone on our site always grows his winter squashes amongst his trees, which are a similar spacing to yours, Nikki.

He waters every couple of weeks or so with a decent soak, and the plants are out when he gives his trees their Spring feed of BFB every year.

The trees are staked though, which I can see Solway Cropper also suggests.

[gypsy]

I have bluebells and daffs under mine. I planted garlic round the edge this yr.

[diospyros]

I guess the trouble with trying to grow edible bulbs under fruit trees is that you damage the fruit tree roots when you dig the bulbs up.  But you could grow those tree onions that have bulbs on the stalks.