Surpressing weeds under fruit trees

[MrsJigsaw]

Novice gardener here!

I have some wonderful, well established, fruit trees at the bottom of my garden. The area has been neglected over the last few years as efforts have been focused on other parts of the garden. This has meant that the area under/ around the trees has become a mass of nettles, brambles and weeds which now needs tackling (not least as it makes it so much harder to pick the fruit!).

I've started the huge task of clearing the area around/ under the trees. I'm after advice on how to surpress future weed growth. I've read about keeping an area around the trees free from grass for mulching. I'm fully prepared to dig out as much weed roots as possible. Would a layer of weed membrane then work? What to put on top? I've read about both both biodegradalbe and non-biodegradable options. I do have some left over gravel, but not sure about this.

Any suggestions?

Weed membrane often makes things harder to deal with than nor having it. It gets covered in soil and then weeds grow in it. I would dig out as much weeds as you can and then cover the whole area in a layer of corugatwd cardboard to suppress the weeds. Then if you want to maintain it as an orchard maybe turf on top next spring? With circles cut out round the trees which are cardboard with a think layer of mulch on instead (but not up round the tree trunk).

Neglect is really good for wildlife. Over the past few years I've cultivated the nettles as the butterfly's love them.

You don't really need a clear area round the tree once it's established. Grass is fine.

I agree witb pp and try cardboard (ask on local facebook if anyone has large delivery boxes to get rid of) covered with mulch or top soil. The cardboard does the job and then decomposes (apparently, according to the few you tubes I've watched). I'm planning to try this on the large patch of brambles at the bottom of my garden when it stops raining!

There was a study done around weed control in orchards which found densely planted daffodils most effective in suppressing weeds as the foliage lingers for so long at peak weed germination time whilst being shallow enough not to interfere with tree roots. Perhaps some light weeding needed in the first few years but nothing too drastic, plus you get daffodils.. help pollinators and no horrible membrane to dig up in a few years.

You can rent goats to clear areas covered in brambles and nettles etc. Have a look online locally to see if there’s anyone locally who rents out goats.

Thank you all - some really useful advice which is much appreciated

I would love to do this (saw it on clarksons farm). Sadly my garden isn't secure enough though!

I agree. I have other areas of the garden left alone for the wildlife... I just want to pick my apples and pears without getting stung or prickled!

Can’t you just have grass and mow it? Once fruit trees are established they don’t need bare ground around them.