The ground under apple trees! Lawn or clean?

There is ongoing debate as to whether the ground under apple trees should be allowed to grow into a grass covering, or cultivated as bare earth.

From experience, generally shrubs and small trees do not grow as well when the grass is allowed to grow right under the tree - up to the trunk,

However, with more established trees then this becomes lees of a problem. Most commercial growers keep the ground under apple trees clean, with a grass 'path' between the rows.

With younger apple trees, if the ground underneath is allowed to grow to grass, then the trees will have to compete with the grass for available nutrients. (The same incidentally, goes for shrubs growing in the lawn.)

There is no doubt, from my own experience, that the ground under apple trees should be kept free from any type of vegetation. A clean area will result in healthier growth, and o course, make it more difficult for many apple tree pests to over-winter there.

In tests carried out by The New York State Agricultural Experiment Station, much larger concentrations of Nitrogen (Food) were found in apple trees where the ground underneath had been controlled by herbicides (weedkillers). This resulted inevitably in better growth for the tree. Additionally, the same study found a greater incidence of over-wintered mites in the soil where the grass had been allowed to grow.

A mulch of organic matter in the autumn is possible with 'clean' soil areas, and this considerably enhances the overall health and well-being of the trees.