Most tree roots are near the surface, seems to me it would compete with anything planted nearby. Maybe after the tree is well established it would not matter? Around most of my trees, which I planted high with root flares shows, as is suggested, after a few years all I see is massive fine roots around the base of the trees. I would have to dig into the roots to plant anything.
I plant comfrey in a ring around the drip line of most every fruit tree in my orchard. The comfreys fleshy deep diving taproots don’t compete with the more fibrous tree roots. It also shades out grass, and fertilizes the soil with the dead leaves and roots. Bees like the flowers. Medicinal too! Very easy to spread with root cuttings, my plant doesn’t makes seeds.
I like alliums as well for the edible greens in early spring, these do well under the drip line of the tree. Chives, walking onions, etc.
A few other I have growing with fruit trees are sedum, horseradish, sorrel, baptisia, rhubarb, yarrow, daffodils, mints, Jerusalem artichokes. Most are for pollinator forage, some are edible.
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I am a dry farmer so I don’t want anything competing for water with my young fruit trees- this is especially important in spring. There is also the danger of allelopathy, which is not a widely researched subject, but many herbs exude chemicals that stunt tree growth for obvious reasons. And then there is the attraction of plant bugs to broad leaf plants which can be terrible fruit pests.
I would not follow the advice of faith based gardeners on this subject and be more inclined to find studies that carefully evaluate the affects of this kind of relationship because trees and prairie plants can fight like cats and dogs (the tactics may be different but the intentions the same).
If you are spraying your trees with anything harmful to bees, and you do decide to plant flowering herbs below or nearby, make sure they don’t bloom when you spray.
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Some of the plants listed would require more water than I want to give my trees too. I water my trees maybe three times a season, all during the dog days of summer. I didn’t water my trees at all last season.OK maybe once!
I would even be hesitant to put pots or planters as I would want to move them to water, and then put them back, too much work.
If the bees prefer flowers planted under the tree better than your fruit tree flowers it could reduce pollination of the fruit tree. Having flowers in the area, but not necessarily under the tree, afer the fruit trees are finished flowering is a good idea since it will keep the bees from leaving. I like to have summer and fall flowers that bees like in bloom afer the fruit trees finish flowering.
Regarding warding off pests, you would have to determine pests you are trying to repel and then research if there are any specific plants that can repel them.
If more people grew food forests, we would have more data to consider. Here’s a good discussion on the topic:
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My yard looks about the same, maybe a touch neater. I myself grow all kinds of stuff also. Although I’m not sure what it has to do with growing stuff under trees? I have beneficial flowers, and grow weird herbs like Chinese Magnolia Vine, and Mexican Bush Oregano. For my Tex-Mex dishes a must! Anyway I still don’t grow them under trees.
I have tried some co-plantings around the fruit trees. Comfrey around some (does not seem to compete at least after everone’s established and creates great mulch), and a few seaberries. I am planning on distributing wild onions and garlics near the trunks, to ward off borers. And I have heard, but not tried, nasturtiums around the trunk to keep voles away.
I tend to like the Permaculture idea, but modify it some to increase the spacing (dry climate), and choose the companion plants that make sense, both for my climate and to enhance the primary planting (the fruit trees). It makes for a more landscaped look, and is efficient in that it allows several plants to make use of the irrigation I supply to an area. But certainly not for everyone, and would likely be a pain in a mechanized commercial setting.
BTW, I find it hard to believe that flowering plants near your fruit trees would hurt their pollination. We usually have quite a few wild flowers blooming around blossom time and it never has keep the local honey bees from being all over the apples and pears.
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This is so often repeated that it is hard to doubt, but when my fruit tree blossoms are a riot of buzz and the dandelions underneath barely tended, I have come to doubt it also. I certainly believe in having lots of flowering plants around for native pollinators that are in bloom when the fruit trees are not- just not under the trees if and when you are spraying insecticide.
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I made an effort to plant perennials under my tiny espalier trees in my yard. We get plenty of water via rain though. The things that are working out the best are various types of alliums and some flowers and herbs When the apples are blooming there are a few tulips and other bulbs out, but there is still not so much out that the bees are going nuts so I think they have plenty of time for the trees.
My yard is so small I was loathe to give up all the space under the trees, and I thought there might be something to the permaculture guild thing. So I figured I’d give it a try. Kept with shortish plants so they wouldn’t grow up into the first rung of the espalier; for instance comfrey is too tall. I tried horseradish last year but it is too tall as well and must come out.
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I have done this I planted strawberries as ground cover around my Japanese maple. But the goal is to kill the Japanese maple so I can put in a fruit tree and my wife will think it just happened and I didn’t do it.I do like to use ground covers in my perennial bed. Notice the fruit tree in front of the maple has absolutely nothing underneath it.
I do like to use beneficial flowers like Nasturtiums, Snap Dragons, Zinnia’s, just not around my trees.
A Weeping Santa Rosa plum is going in here on the left side behind the flowering hostas (where the stake is). A replacement tree. If this one dies, I’m going to put something else there as of yet, undecided. Some ornamental edible.
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I plant annuals under my fruit trees. They provide a tremendous amount of color, and encourage pollinators. The problem with perennials under trees is that every year or two you will have to dig the perennial and divide them, which brings the risk of damaging the tree’s root system.
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I’m not so industrious. The only perennials I generally dig up are Dahlias to prevent their freezing in our cold weather. 25 years of this and my tight clusters of daffodils still flower nicely as do the many alliums I planted long ago and have neglected since. Same with irises.
Most of my fruit trees can do with a little root carnage anyway. They have plenty of vigor- I guess it is my vigor to invest much more in ornamentals that is lacking.
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Drew, did the Japanese maple ever die? If not, the strawberries should provide sufficient cover for you to completely girdle it near the ground. Then, it wilts one day and you say “oh…too bad. But I know the perfect thing to replace it with…”. Personally, I think a contorted jujube (zigzag structure is nicely ornamental) would do well.
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Nope, still with us!
Yes, i have looked at that tree numerous times. I did add a contorted tree at last, a contorted quince! It stays rather small, can be pruned. I thought about the hazelnut contorted trees, also. But this was cheap, you only need one. Anyway I had room for a small tree. It looks to be growing, I planted it a couple weeks ago. It’s an 8 inch stick right now.
The arborist sends out an annual appeal in his newsletter not to plant stuff around the base of the trees they treat.
They say the plants crowd the bark and encourage disease to grow, and make it hard to keep an eye on infestations. Also it keeps them from deploying their equipment.
Actually the best way to secretly kill a maple or any large tree is to pull soil away from the roots a bit and drill in large holes as vertical as possible where holes can be covered with dirt after filling them with roundup a couple of times- needs to be done in late summer just before leaves begin to change color- energy is being sent to the roots at that time and tree will not look well the following spring. Not that I have reason to do it, but I can be devious in fantasy. I have killed large trees this way- just not secretly.
Of course, I’m sending a note to Drew’s wife to warn her.
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Uh oh Drew. It looks like you will really need to cover your tracks and make it look like an animal. If your whittling skills aren’t up to snuff, you may need to lay on the ground and chew around it 
Biggest argument against it for me would be the difficulty in mulching. It’s a lot easier to put down cardboard and woodchips when there aren’t a lot of little plants in the way.
But jujube taste much better! Actually, just about everything tastes better than quince, at least fresh. 
True for the jujube Contorted (also known as So). In year 7, mine isn’t more than ~7’ tall (and wide). I suspect that this is generally true for contorted specimens of most species. It is harder to get tall when you don’t grow straight up…
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The strawberries, especially this yellow alpine I have I think maybe Yellow Wonder? It does a good job of keeping weeds out. (so i don’t mulch) Very few, easy to hand pick. The only plant I heard suggested at a base of a tree is arugula. I have some seeds, may try it. I in general keep mine mulched. Also annual plants won’t get in the way of mulching in the fall at least.
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My So is probably the largest jujube I have. Its about the same age as yours and it is easily 10 feet tall. My Honey Jar (or is it Sugar Cane, I have both and can barely tell which is which) is about 8 feet tall and pretty crowded, so though its the same age as So it has not really kept up with it.
Drew, my Red Dragon was showing blight infection (I had 4 other hazels including a regular contorted which were infected). Currently RD is 4 inches tall and has 3 fat buds on it. I’m going to fertilize it like crazy and see if I can get it to a foot by next fall. (or I may just bite the bullet and replace it)
Scott