Clearing ground round apple trees

[bella29]

I have young apple trees and am fighting a losing battle to clear the turf around them. I noticed recently at an aroboretum that the grass round the trees looked dead, as if it had been sprayed. Can I do this with fruit trees? And if so, with what?

TIA

At an apple orchard in Oxford they use old carpet or old coconut matting aroud the base of trees.

We put old thick cardboard round our fruit trees and cover it with a really thick mulch of wood chippings. It is done to the same width as the spread of the tree.
You can spray the grass with glyphosate if you want then cover the area with old carpet, newspapers, lino then mulch.
The tree does not have to compete with the grass or lose nutrients to weeds and tends thrive without the competition.

Thank you all - I am assuming though that the glyphosate would get into the apples, too, which I don't want?