I have read about persons planting filler plants in their orchard, like asparagus, which you harvest early when most fruits are budding or in bloom.
I was wondering what other perennial plants/crops would work?
I am thinking of trying Sunchoke (Helianthus tuberosus) while my trees are small.
When the fruit trees(mostly apples) are larger we will see it the Sunchoke get in the way of fruit harvesting & adjust.
Any ideals or advise on the subject?
Speak freely, I am a big boy. Thanks.
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They spread peetty aggressively. I wouldnt do this outside of a container but its not a horrible idea. Some other ideas that may interest you: rhubarb, asparagus would still work, strawberry, ground nut (hrder to harvest probably). Ground cherries were discussed in another thread too
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How tall are your trees? Do you have deer or pressure from other animals in your area?
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This is what sunchokes do to your yard
Jerusalem Artichoke - General Gardening - Growing Fruit
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im planning to grow groundnut on the south side of my j. artichoke patch and let them climb them. the groundnut should feed the j. artichoke some N. and can use them as a trellis.
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I wonder if they’d provide enough winter food for voles to get them to leave young fruit tree roots alone…
I grew them twenty years ago, they did well the first year, but the deer pressure was very high in those days. The deer eat the young shoots like candy & they did not come back the next year. I know, I would not have believed it either. However I saw it with my own eyes. So I will put them in large pot till they are not tinder the plant them inside a tomato cage. the deer can have anything that grows out side of the cage.
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Trees are under six feet, but they are thirty feet apart.
As for being aggressively, I can dig them up for the hogs, if the deer do not keep them suppressed.
steveb4
That should work, I had scarlet beans growing on my J. Artichokes.
I do not have voles, mice have not bother them. To protect them from rabbits I put ten inches of four inch drain pipe around the base of the tree.
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Sunchokes draw extra deer pressure in my area and i wouldn’t plant them near vulnerable fruit trees.
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I am going to plant Lovage & skirret also.