Planting under fruit trees

OK, as part of my garden design I am going to plant 6 fruit trees in a row to yield fruit for consumption, the question is this.

I am intending to plant these trees at about 3-4metre centres and I was wondering if I could put cylindrical raised planters between them (was thinking of manhole rings clad in stone, circa 900 diameter 300 high).

I was wondering if I could put something like rubarb in one and things like gooseberry, rasberry, blackcurrent, strawberry etc in others. They will obviously not get direct sun, but being in the South of France will get a level of sun during the day.

Just a thought with what would become a 'dead' zone and how I could use it.

Cheers

Andrew

 

you can plant almost anything under and around fruit trees. the only thing you have to look out for is the bugs that certain plants bring with them. put grease bands around the trunk of your trees,they catch alot of bugs plus they deter the codling moth which feeds on fruit trees.hope this helps

 

Thanks for that advice, had not even though of bug attack from ground level, was more thinking of the shade, pollen and dropping debris issues more that bug attack.

I know the manhole rings are not exactly enviromentally friendly, but I can buy a length of pipe, styll saw it into sections or manhole rings place them on the floor and fill and plant it instantly then when I am doing stone work at a later date can just clad them to make them match the rest of the garden.

I will be posting photos of my project in a full thread when I get over and do some work, would love to do work on it every night but have to earn money in UK first before I can spend over there.

I have done some cut and fill work and built my first attemp at a dry stone wall on the Therapy garden, but this is about the fruit trees then veg plots etc.

Cheers

Andrew