Fruit Tree Row Management

The area underneath the trees is important in the development of an orchard. Numerous studies have shown that excessive vegetation underneath trees competes with the tree for water and nutrients and can reduce the growth and cropping of the trees. Research in New York showed that apple trees grown in a mowed sod were nearly 25 percent smaller than trees grown under a herbicide program 6 years after planting. Research at Penn State with peaches also showed that the width of the vegetation-free strip affected tree growth and yield, with a narrower 2-foot-wide strip producing less fruit and smaller trees. Ideally, the vegetation-free strip should extend out to the edge of the tree's canopy width. The width should be established early in the life of the orchard and should not be reduced on newly planted trees.

The timing of weed control has also been shown to be critical. A study with Gala/M.26 showed that the first crop in the life of the orchard was much larger when weeds were controlled early in the season. The weed competition also affected fruit size. Based upon this work, it is believed that the critical period for weed competition in apple runs from bloom to 30 days after petal fall.

For more information, please see this Penn State Tree Fruit Production Guide Web page.

Penn State Horticulture Department

For more information on this subject, Please visit the College of Agricultural Sciences Publications Web site.

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