Some plants will grow with almost any green neighbors, while others, on the contrary, will wither or choke an unwanted competitor. So that peace and tranquility reign in your garden, and the bins are replenished with berries and fruits, you need to know several planting rules, taking into account the compatibility of trees and shrubs... This article provides a table of compatibility between fruit trees and shrubs.
Compatibility table of fruit trees and shrubs
Name | Good neighborhood | Bad neighborhood |
---|---|---|
Grapes | Pear, cherry | |
Cherry | Grapes, cherries, pears, plums, apple trees | Pear, currant |
Pear | Apple tree, black currant, grapes | Cherry, plum, golden currant |
Strawberry | Garlic, parsley, bush beans | Raspberry, sea buckthorn |
Gooseberry | Cherry, red currant | Black currant, apple tree, raspberry |
Raspberry | Apple tree | Red currant, strawberry |
Sea buckthorn | Only sea buckthorn | Bad neighbor for everyone else |
Plum | Apple tree, currant, raspberry, gooseberry | Pear, cherry, sweet cherry |
Golden currant | Black currant | Apple tree, pear |
Red currants | Gooseberry, cherry | Black currant, raspberry |
Black currant | Apple tree | Plum, sweet cherry, cherry, gooseberry, raspberry, red currant |
Cherries | Cherry, apple tree | Plum |
Apple tree | Plum, raspberry, pear | Cherry, sweet cherry, golden currant |
The safest way to plant fruit trees in a small area is to plant them in groups of two or three seedlings, at a distance of several meters from each group.
Shrubs are easier to plant in long rows for easy harvesting and watering. Talk to your neighbors before you start creating your new wondrous garden.... No one knows better than them which fruit trees and shrubs grow best in your area, which varieties are the most resistant and fruitful. Perhaps they will share with you not only advice.
What affects the compatibility and incompatibility of plants
- Shine - Plants planted nearby should not cover their neighbor with their shadow.
- The soil - the roots of fruit plants and shrubs should receive plenty of water and nutrients. For close proximity, they try to select plants whose roots are at different earthen levels.
- Food - each plant needs a certain set of organic and mineral elements, which they receive from the environment. For growth and fruiting, each plant must be fully provided with them., it is impossible for them to compete with each other. For example, feeding with nitrogen fertilizers, which is necessary for some, can cause late and poor fruiting in another plant.
- Allelopathy - the ability of plants to secrete substances that inhibit or stop the growth of other plants. There is simply no need to plant together plants that can negatively affect each other, so to speak, compete ecologically.
What fruit trees and shrubs can be planted next to each other in the garden
Optimum compatibility is achieved when planting fruit trees and shrubs of the same species. Apple-tree to apple-tree, currants to currants and so on. And if in the case of shrubs this is a good way of planting, then it is unlikely that many can afford to arrange several types of gardens on the site at the same time: cherry, pear and apple.
Planting rules are simple: soil, light, fertilization and watering. Usually, plants are planted nearby with similar conditions of detention and non-overlapping diseases and pests. Even fruit trees, ideal for the neighborhood, are planted at a distance of adding the height of adult plants.
When planting fruit trees, pay attention to the surrounding vegetation. If horsetail, alder, sedge and wheatgrass grow on the site chosen for planting, then the soil is too acidic, it must first be limed. For peatlands, this procedure must be repeated several times.
Swampy soil is a big problem for gardeners.... Drainage and delivery of fertile land does not always give a positive effect if groundwater is close to the surface. In this case, the earth seems dry, weeds grow well on it - sedge, horse sorrel, cattail and willow, and fruit seedlings die after a couple of years. First, it is required to cultivate the soil by sanding, digging ditches, wells and reservoirs, pre-planting trees (birch, willow) that dry the soil.
Apple tree
Itself apple tree inhospitable neighbor, you should not plant any shrubs under it, they simply will not grow. The apple tree has a very strong root system, which will take away nutrients and water from any other plants. The size of the roots of an apple tree can be easily calculated from the diameter of the tree crown.
Raspberries are considered a good neighbor for a young apple tree., its roots make the soil looser and more oxygenated. An apple tree in such a neighborhood is more resistant to diseases and pests, and accelerates growth. But raspberries will grow under the apple tree until the crown of the latter grows. This is a very light-loving shrub and will have to be replanted.
Picking fallen apples from thorny bushes is a dubious pleasure. Try to plant them away from the crown of the apple tree, raspberries, gooseberries and currants.
Pear, apricot and other stone fruit trees should be planted at least four meters from the apple tree. But the biggest antagonist for the apple tree is hazel, so try to plant these trees on opposite sides of the site.
If you are very annoyed by a patch of nettles and weeds under the apple tree, plant there decorative shade-tolerant plants, for example, hosta.
Pear
Pear does not like the proximity of apple and stone fruit trees. The only tree that the pear favors is the mountain ash... The least favorite shrub is golden currant.
Pears are usually not planted one by one, only if one of your country neighbors has it growing too. The thing is that many of the pear varieties are self-fertile, that is, they are not able to pollinate themselves. So either plant a couple of seedlings at once or look for self-pollinating pear varieties. Skillful gardeners simply graft a different variety on the mother pear and thus solve the problem of pollination..
Cherry
Cherries get along well with plums and cherries, and very much dislikes being close to currants, raspberries and gooseberries. Cherry has very developed superficial roots and if you give it free rein, your entire plot will quickly turn into a cherry orchard.... Do not plant a red rowan with cherries, the latter will hurt.
Sea buckthorn
Sea buckthorn is compatible with both fruit trees and shrubs, but she will clog any plant growing in the neighborhood... It must be planted very carefully, its roots are long and it multiplies easily. Before you have time to look back, your site will be filled with this aggressive plant. When they plant sea buckthorn, they try to dig around an obstacle for the roots of roofing material, iron shields or slate to limit its boundaries.
Currant
Surprisingly, although red and black currants are of the same species, you do not need to plant them togetherThis is because red requires more intense lighting. But for golden currants - black will be an excellent neighbor. Do not plant currants next to raspberries - the latter will simply strangle the currants.
Gooseberry
Gooseberries are often planted alternately with red currants, they get along very well together. And here black currant is its main antagonist due to the common moth pest.
Some gardeners claim that this shrub grows well with plum and pear. Gooseberries need a lot of sunlight, so make sure the trees don't shade them..
Raspberry
You can plant raspberries with any shrub, if you do not mind it - raspberries will strangle any neighbor. Very light-requiring shrub with a well-developed aggressive root system... The best option is a separate planting of raspberries in one or two rows and careful suppression of overgrowth to neighboring areas.
Grapes
The grapes go well with pear, raspberry, sweet cherry, cherry and apple tree. AND absolutely cannot stand the neighborhood of hazel and quince... However, not a single cultivated plant can stand the neighborhood of hazel.
The opinion that it is better to grow grapes in splendid isolation and on bare ground is fundamentally wrong. Siderata and friendly weeds (woodlice, thistle, stonecrop, perfectly loosen the soil and improve the growth and fruiting of the vines, while those mown under the root in early spring and autumn serve as an excellent natural fertilizer.
From cultivated plants, beans, peas, beets, soybeans and strawberries will be good neighbors.
Garden strawberry
For garden strawberries - separate beds. It is good to plant parsley or garlic in the aisles of strawberries to protect against pests. Strawberries need sun, water, organic fertilizers - ash, humus and frequent loosening... Beware of the proximity of nightshades - they have many common diseases.
The compatibility of fruit trees and shrubs is to some extent arbitrary. For some gardeners, seemingly completely irreconcilable plants grow and bear fruit on one small piece of land, while for another, species that are suitable for each other do not get along. Try to take into account factors such as the depth of groundwater, light exposure, soil acidity and climatic features of your area.... And do not be discouraged by failures - everyone, even the most successful summer resident, has more than one ruined seedling behind him.