Fruit tree guilds and edible companion plants (Apple, Pear, Peach, Plum)

Anyone have suggestions for companion plants that will help prevent fungal diseases on fruit trees? For example, this year I noticed mildew on my young apple trees.

Curious George wrote:Anyone have suggestions for companion plants that will help prevent fungal diseases on fruit trees? For example, this year I noticed mildew on my young apple trees.

 It is hard to say that a companion plant would help:
You identified the problem as a fungal problem. So there is a *fungus*, airborne or waterborne, that is coming on your trees. Favorable conditions, such as high humidity, wet weather, and leaf wetness, promote spore germination and infection.
You might want to look at your watering schedule or at what's on the ground: Fungi overwinter in debris on the orchard floor, in infected twigs, cankers, or mummified fruits, serving as a source for new spring infections. I don't spray much but I religiously clear the floor of any damaged fruit during the season.
"Dr. Google" recommends a couple of home made sprays to remove more specifically the mildew from fruit trees:
"Baking Soda Spray:
.
Mix 1 tablespoon of baking soda with 1 teaspoon of liquid dish soap and 1 gallon of water. Spray on affected areas and repeat as needed. The baking soda helps alkalize the leaf surface, stopping the fungus.
Milk Spray:
.
A mixture of 40% milk and 60% water can both treat and prevent powdery mildew.
Vinegar Spray:
.
Mix 4 tablespoons of vinegar with 1 gallon of water. The acetic acid in vinegar kills the fungus."
So it seems that messing with the PH of the fungus helps to kill it, too.

Cécile Stelzer Johnson wrote:

Curious George wrote:Anyone have suggestions for companion plants that will help prevent fungal diseases on fruit trees? For example, this year I noticed mildew on my young apple trees.

 It is hard to say that a companion plant would help:
You identified the problem as a fungal problem. So there is a *fungus*, airborne or waterborne, that is coming on your trees. Favorable conditions, such as high humidity, wet weather, and leaf wetness, promote spore germination and infection.
You might want to look at your watering schedule or at what's on the ground: Fungi overwinter in debris on the orchard floor, in infected twigs, cankers, or mummified fruits, serving as a source for new spring infections. I don't spray much but I religiously clear the floor of any damaged fruit during the season.
"Dr. Google" recommends a couple of home made sprays to remove more specifically the mildew from fruit trees:
"Baking Soda Spray:
.
Mix 1 tablespoon of baking soda with 1 teaspoon of liquid dish soap and 1 gallon of water. Spray on affected areas and repeat as needed. The baking soda helps alkalize the leaf surface, stopping the fungus.
Milk Spray:
.
A mixture of 40% milk and 60% water can both treat and prevent powdery mildew.
Vinegar Spray:
.
Mix 4 tablespoons of vinegar with 1 gallon of water. The acetic acid in vinegar kills the fungus."
So it seems that messing with the PH of the fungus helps to kill it, too.

Thanks for the input. These trees were actually only planted last fall, I am totally new to orchard crops. So there really isn’t any litter left from the apples and there was no crop of apples this year. However I did notice some creeping Jenny in the yard that also had powdery mildew. All things in progress to improve the yard over the next several years and continue building the orchard a few trees each year. There is no “guild” in place at all yet as my budget and time is limited, but planning to build it out a little each year. So, rather than sticking in plants just because they’re supposed to be good in a guild, thought I would observe what problems I actually have with my trees and try to target those issues (and probably add in several standard guild plants just for overall health of the trees).

Will definitely keep your info in mind going forward.

So, Linda, you have creeping jenny and it has mildew.  these are the conditions for mildew on creeping jenny:
Ideal conditions for powdery mildew
"Temperature: Moderate temperatures between 60–80°F are most favorable for the fungus. These conditions are common during the spring and fall seasons.
Humidity: Powdery mildew thrives when there are fluctuations in humidity. Spore production is favored by high humidity (around 90%), while low humidity is ideal for spores to be dispersed by the wind.
Air circulation: Crowded, poorly ventilated, and shady areas create the perfect microclimate for powdery mildew to flourish. Tight spacing between plants traps moisture and restricts airflow around the foliage.
Shade: Creeping jenny in shady spots is more prone to powdery mildew than those in full sun. While creeping jenny tolerates some shade, direct sunlight can kill the fungus.
New growth: Powdery mildew often targets young, succulent plant growth, which is more susceptible to infection. Over-fertilizing with nitrogen can stimulate this type of vulnerable growth".

Check if you have any of these conditions where you are and try to mitigate them.
You don't tell us which growing zone you are in or what the soil is. Perhaps you planted in a low spot? with clay soil? it's hard to say...
Good luck to you.

The map always shows me as zone 4 but not far from zone 3 so I tend to play it safe and assume I’m zone 3. And sadly, clay soil is my only option for planting. All the soil on the farmstead is clay, and yeah, we live in a low area. The trees are located in full sun and heaven knows we get plenty of good strong winds. The creeping Jenny is…everywhere. Dang near impossible to get rid of that stuff and it just spreads like crazy.

Linda Johansson wrote:The map always shows me as zone 4 but not far from zone 3 so I tend to play it safe and assume I’m zone 3. And sadly, clay soil is my only option for planting. All the soil on the farmstead is clay, and yeah, we live in a low area. The trees are located in full sun and heaven knows we get plenty of good strong winds. The creeping Jenny is…everywhere. Dang near impossible to get rid of that stuff and it just spreads like crazy.

Ouch. Indeed, your options are limited. You might have to bring in some soil that is better and plant your trees slightly on a mound for better drainage, mixing original soil and new soil, but yes, that limits your options. Also, it gets expensive fast if you want a real food "forest". On the other hand, the more plants/bushes you place on a small area, the more water they will draw. How many inches of rain can you count on? because that too will impact your calculations.

Linda Johansson wrote:The map always shows me as zone 4 but not far from zone 3 so I tend to play it safe and assume I’m zone 3. And sadly, clay soil is my only option for planting. All the soil on the farmstead is clay, and yeah, we live in a low area. The trees are located in full sun and heaven knows we get plenty of good strong winds. The creeping Jenny is…everywhere. Dang near impossible to get rid of that stuff and it just spreads like crazy.

Folks can over come clay soil by adding amendments.  Wood chips, fall leaves, compost and mushrooms are the solutions.

We average about 15-18” rain per year. I do realize there are costs. That’s why I am doing a little bit every year (I also have a toddler, a new baby, a full scale commercial ranch to run, and an off farm job. I don’t exactly have time for massive amounts of gardening and preserving of food today, though by the time most of this is producing that should be changing). It’s not that I’m incredibly concerned about the powdery mildew, just thought that as I was planning things I would include a plan for managing that, and find out if there were any companion plants that would be helpful.

Anne, can you explain your method in a bit more detail?

Folks here on the forum sometimes put down fall leaves and then top those with wood chips.

Any organic matter will help clay soil.

Here are some threads that might help you or others:

https://permies.com/t/120453/Great-Wood-Chips

https://permies.com/t/152261/Fall-Leaves

https://permies.com/t/176222/Experiences-Growing-Mushrooms

https://permies.com/t/108257/Premium-Soil-Wood-Chips

Thank you Anne! After reading through some of the threads you linked I went in search of local wood chips. Ended up finding a guy who with loads of knowledge on trees (I’m very much a novice with trees) who believes in cover cropping and regenerative ag as much as I do…a rare individual in my neck of the woods. He’s my friend now whether he likes it or not 😂

I am glad those links for of interest and lead you of to a new friend.

What luck...