apple trees and weeds

[marty]

Hi all sorry I've been gone but now I'm back. Got a question for any apple tree experts. I was looking at my apple trees and notice that there are some weeds coming up around the base. Last year I just took the cages apart and pull the weeds. Just wondering if I could place some wood chips around the base of the tree? Maybe use that black kind of cloth I seen at Kmart. Just trying to keep the weeds from getting around the bottom of my trees. Any ideas??........Thanks Marty

[Ron Scott]

The chip mulch or plastic weed guard should work as well as pulling the weeds. Grubbing around the trees occasionally may work best if you don't have a lot of trees to do. If weeds are not competing much with the trees, they shouldn't be a problem other than appearance.

[marty]

Thanks Ron for the info. What happens in the summer time the weeds get up pretty high and there's some that wrap themselves around the tree itself. I got a bunch of wood chips so I ;ll give it a try.
Thanks again......marty

[Bill Johnson]

Marty

Don't forget grass clippings they make a real good mulch too, especially if you have lots of lawn and not too many trees.
Besides I think there is something ironic about using grass to kill weeds
Bill

[RavioliKid]

I was watching a show the other day that touted the benefits of laying down newspaper under whatever mulch you decided to use. Supposedly, it really retards weed growth and biodegrades during the growing season.

Personally, I LIKE weeds!  

[Ron Wenrich]

I used to grow potatoes under mulch.  Just lay the seed spuds on the ground and cover them with mulch.  You can later add grass clippings.

When you need potatoes, just lift up the mulch and pick what you need.  The plant keeps on growing.

[Jeff]

I have heard you do that in old tires. you keep adding mulch as the plant grows, each time covering part of the plant. Eventually you add more tires and the results are layer after layer of potatos in one small spot from one plant. I have never tried it.