Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
managing fruit crops on the orchard floor and planting vegetables and other
cash or subsistence crops elsewhere.
There are applications for intercropping in orchards, however. Some herb-
al crops can be grown as part of companion plantings within the tree rows.
Likewise, flowering crops suitable for honey production might be included in
the companion plantings, provided they are not allowed to flower during the
fruit crop bloom.
The best choices for companion plants are perennials or annuals that re-
seed themselves without being so aggressive that they compete excessively
with the trees for nutrients and moisture. Tilling to create planting beds in
or alongside tree rows could damage the tree roots.
While intercropping is certainly not for every fruit grower, there are cases
where it can be used. Should you choose to intercrop, select plants that
fit well with your orchard floor management program. Even better, choose
plants that also support beneficial organisms.
Bare Ground
By this point, you should know that I am not in favor of maintaining much
bare ground in a mature orchard. Bare ground strategies, however, do have
important roles to play, especially in newly planted and some high-density
orchards.
When it comes to adding soil amendments and fertilizers, keeping the
planting rows and alleys bare of any vegetation besides the fruit crop
provides the greatest flexibility. This strategy also eliminates competition
with weeds, companion plants, and alley crops for nutrients and moisture.
Orchards with bare ground also have far fewer rodent problems than those
with cover crops and mulches.
For newly established orchards, I strongly recommend maintaining a
vegetation-free zone for a radius of 2 to 3 feet around each fruit tree or bush.
This vegetation-free zone should be maintained for at least 3 years after
planting. For high-density plantings, permanently maintaining a vegetation-
free crop row can be a good strategy. The vegetation-free zone does not ne-
