DoubleDogFarm
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Orchard weed suppression

I've been fighting grass for years in my orchard. I've read that mowing / line trimming just encourages more weeds and grass.

I've tried,
Mulched covered cardboard.

Thick layers of wood chips.

Roto tilling swales and shoveling onto the berms. Always shoveling the soil to the down hill berm.

Geese and ducks to keep the grass down and manure.

Most of these work for awhile. What have you tried on a larger scale? My orchard is roughly 1/4 acre.

Eric

CharlieBear
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The only thing I have had much success with is mulch covered newpaper. I used black newsprint 10 thick, overlapped and covered with 4 inches of mulch. Have to renew mulch on average about every 18 months. Took care of the grass, but not weeds seed that blows in from around the area, but they are super easy to pull, since they are shallow rooted. I have to admit to having trouble with 3 dandylions coming back, but the grass seems to be gone. Tried cardboard, but the grass came back between the pieces after about a year.

luigonz
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Location: St. Louis, MO (Zone 6)

why not let the grass grow?

or perhaps try another seeding something else: vetch or clover or alfalfa?

I think I read in One straw revolution Mr. Fukuoka let grass grow in all his orchards, concequently many japanese orchard have grass instead of mulch.

I guess I'm saying think of it as a living mulch.

just an idea :oops:

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lorax
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Location: Ecuador, USDA Zone 13, at 10,000' of altitude

I foster Creeping Charlie. Not only is it pleasant underfoot, but it's also so vigorous that it suppresses almost all other weeds and it attracts bees and other insect pollinators.

And I can use it in place of Hops in brewing if I so wish.

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rainbowgardener
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Yeah, why eradicate the grass, what do you want to grow between the trees? Nature abhors a vaccuum, it will never work to try to maintain bare soil, even mulched. And I don't know that bare soil, even mulched, is best for your trees.

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!potatoes!
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Location: wnc - zones 6/7 line

a friend of mine has a pretty big (~30 acres) orchard in west virginia, from which he markets '97% feral pears'...that 3% is for mowing.

estorms
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I plan to start planting trees this weekend. My plan is to mulch a three foot circle around each tree and plant between with clover. It should be good for the bees I want to get next year. If this isn't a good idea, somebody, please tell me now.

DoubleDogFarm
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[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/Double%20Dog%20Farm%20Fuit%20and%20Nut%20Orchard/GardenorchardJune192012006.jpg[/img]

A little hard to see. If you look at the Aronia bush in the lower left of the photo, it's being choked with grass. I'm not talking lawn, but 3ft tall field grass. Grass steals nutrients and makes a nice vole hiding place. I've lost several trees to voles over the years.

I agree bare earth is never a good thing, but there are much better cover crops than grass. Clover is one, comfrey another. For me, the first step is to control the heavy grass.
[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/Double%20Dog%20Farm%20Fuit%20and%20Nut%20Orchard/GardenorchardJune192012008.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/Double%20Dog%20Farm%20Fuit%20and%20Nut%20Orchard/GardenorchardJune192012007.jpg[/img]
Heavy cardboard and 4" to 6" of horse manure.

Eric

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Kisal
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The commercial orchards in my area have grass, which is mowed and left on the ground. My friend kept his apple and cherry orchards on his farm the same way. I don't know about the commercial orchadists, but the farmers keep a lot of cats and the occasional terrier or other ratter to help keep down the rodent population.

The grass in the orchards I've wandered through (called out about a sick or injured wild critter) have had grass about like a longish lawn, so I guess it's mowed fairly frequently.

DoubleDogFarm
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If I had a traditional orchard, trees lined up like soldiers on a flat plane, I would most likely do more traditional mowing. It's harder to do when your orchard is sculptured. I will continue to mow the paths and increase the fertility around the trees.

Eric

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Kisal
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Yes, that would make keeping the grass short very difficult. Is it tree fruit or small fruits (berry bushes and such) that is being choked by the grass? I wonder if grass clippings from other parts of your property could be placed there as a mulch.

DoubleDogFarm
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Yes, Most of the trouble is with the understory. Aronia, gooseberry, etc. If I could keep the grass somewhat under control, I would plant many more edible bushes under the fruit trees. The grass clippings from the path are applied to the berms.

Eric

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ReptileAddiction
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Any luck yet Eric? In my small "orchard" (just a few trees) I have bermuda grass and I can not get rid of it. Their roots go down at least 4 feet so it is impossible to dig up and they gan grow through anything. I have a 4 foot hedge in my backyard and they grew up and through it with no light. They can easily go through weed block or cardboard or anything of that sort. The nickname devil's weed is well earned! I use gazanias as groundcover which choke out most things except this. This is part of my landscaping so it must look nice because it is easily viewed. I have been digging up the little plants when they come up hoping that eventually they will no longer have enough nutrients to keep coming up but it is not working. They only thing that ever has been mildly effective is roundup. Which don't get me wrong I hate using. I really despise the stuff and it pains me to use it at all let alone near a fruit tree. I don't spray anything closer than a few feet near the tree and I only spray the leaves of the one weed enough to kill it so hopefully it isn't to bad.



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