Crop Rotation to renew soil for fruit trees

[Mr. Clean]

Farmers rotate crops to replace nutrients in the soil.  Has anyone tried that for fruit trees... rather than actually rotate crops, I was thinking of planting some ground covering near my fruit trees.  Thoughts?

[fyliu]

I think that's mostly for nitrogen. I tried growing fava beans next to fruit trees one year. Then I realized that mature fruit trees don't need a lot of nitrogen. Too much might even stimulate vegetative growth and reduce the amount of fruits.
I still grow fava in the lawn to soak up the winter rains.

[So_Cal_Mike]

I planted Goumi (Nitrogen fixer) between my Cherimoya trees for just this purpose, all are just a couple of years old. But the idea is for the Goumi's to feed nitrogen to the Cherimoyas.

[Pancrazio]

In mediterranean climate trifolium subterraneum is used to cover the soil and as nitrogen source (sometimes also used for grazing).
Usually for trees there isn't need to rotate the crops, but some species do benefit from a pause between two cycles of growth of the same tree on the same spot. For instance, peaches do better if you wait 10 years before replantin g apeach in the same place of the previous one. Well, i do think that works this way pretty much for all the rosaceae.

[Viking Guy]

If a tree dies, and needs to be replaced, then yes, I'd suggested a rotation of sorts.

For existing trees, moving them around during dormancy I suppose is possible for barerootables--Never tried this though.  I only moved some for appearance/convenience/etc.

As for growing legumes, peas, cucumbers or other viney veges at the base, I have tried that, and for some reason (assuming as stated above), my trees turned into vegetables also--little to no fruit.

[bsbullie]

Farmers rotate crops to replace nutrients in the soil.  Has anyone tried that for fruit trees... rather than actually rotate crops, I was thinking of planting some ground covering near my fruit trees.  Thoughts?

That would be a cover crop, not crop rotation...   

[treefrog]

when i bought my land years ago (1984), i seeded it lightly with as many nitrogen fixing legumes as i could find seeds for.  over the years, the hairy vetch and a small, yellow flowered clover have survived.  frosts, droughts, grazing, tilling, mowing, neglect, they're still here.  the clover i only see when it blooms in the spring.  the vetch is everywhere, but unobtrusive.  it blends in with the mix of species i have in the lawn, slowly adding a little nitrogen.  early on, i spread about two tons of "rice rock" per acre.  rice rock is what the concrete plant calls its smallest grade of limestone gravel.  i now have some of the nicest, most fertile sandy loam soil i have ever seen.  lime (if you have acid soil) legumes, and time. 

vicia villosa, hairy vetch.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vicia_villosa

[greenman62]

hairy vetch is a great nitro fixer
goumi and autumn olive are as well
i read somewhere that "scotch broom" is the best one.
alfalfa has a chemical i it that spurs growth also.

i just watched about 20 hours of videos on soil science.
it was very enlightening.
bare soil is the worst thing you can do, and grass next to fruit trees
also isnt a good idea, so,  i use a cover crop on some
sweet potato is good. it can be planted several feet or yards away
and the vines will travel and cover the ground.
the leaves are also edible.
i use "chop and drop" technique.
when a nitro fixer gets large, i basically cut it back (coppice)
and drop the leaves on the ground under the fruit trees.
if you cut down and kill a nitro fixer, leave the roots in the soil
when they decay is where you get the best nutrients.

compost or compost tea is the best way to condition the soil
at least, that was my impression from the videos.

healthy soil organisms are the key to good growth, water retention, drainage, disease etc...

worm tea is as good, if not better.
i had a lot of extra compost worms from my bin
and put a few under my fruit trees - underneath the heavy mulch and compost layer.
i had explosive growth from my small loquat and papaya already.