Guild planting
‘Guild Planting’ is a permaculture concept whereby one plants certain plants together to benefit each other, and the orchard tree they are planted under, by providing mulch, nutrients and attracting beneficial insects to help with pollination and protection from pests.
Following are photos of plants that surround some of our apple trees. Capital letters designate the following:
N = PNW native, or NN = widely naturalized
F = ‘Fix’ nitrogen – w/help from soil bacteria, make it available to plants around it
P = Attract beneficial insects – pollinators, pest predators
B = ‘Bioaccumulator’ – Deep roots suck minerals from deep in the soil up into their leaves
When the large leaves are cut and left on the ground, they create a nutrient-rich mulch.
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- “Wooley Yarrow”, Achillea tomentosa – P
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- “Ox-eye daisy”, Leucanthemum vulgare – NN,P
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- “Poached egg plant”, Limnanthes douglasii – P
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- “Black-eyed Susan”, Rudbeckia fulgida ‘Goldsturm’ – P
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- “Dark Dancer clover”, Trifolium ‘Dark Dancer’ – F,P
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- Orchard tree with new guild planting under it
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- “Sand strawberry”, Fragaria chiloensis – N,P
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- “Foxglove”, Digitalis purpurea -NN,P
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- Clockwise from top left
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- “Subalpine Daisy”, Erigeron peregrinus – N,P
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- “Lupine”, hybrid perennial – F,P
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- “Dandelion”, Taraxacum officinale – NN,P,B
Friends of Pipers Orchard 
Susan George for BCC said
I will post your information on our blog. Broadview Neighborhood News.
suzy brown said
extremely useful help for our very old, well for NZ, orchard in Canterbury NZ. Thanx.
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