Gail Jardin wrote:I have three apple trees in 10 gallon grow bags. I know they should go in the ground soon but I want to get to know my land a little bit better before deciding where the permanent keep them. Suggestions on what else to plant in the grow bags with them?
Clover comes to mind as one of the most obvious choices for a ground cover under a fruit tree. I've got clover growing in the pot with a cherry plum tree. It will fix nitrogen, it's excellent forage for animals, and it's even edible for humans in moderation. The nice thing about clover is you don't have to mow it, if you don't intend to graze it with livestock then you choose a variety that grows to the desired height. Some types of clover have taproots up to 3 feet deep. There are many different species of clover you can choose from, these sites are a good starting point for exploring the many varieties of clover that are available:
https://www.americanmeadows.com/grass-and-groundcover-seeds/clover-seeds
https://www.outsidepride.com/seed/clover-seed/
Stinging nettle is also an excellent ground cover, it's high in protein, very nutritious, grows extremely quickly even in shade, yet
deer won't touch it because it hurts to touch it. Only a human can put on gloves to harvest it, then boil it in
water to make it into an edible tasty high-protein vegetable and then eat it.
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