Advice on growing edibles under oak trees
Noob Gardener2
Posts: 25
Hello everyone. I've moved to a lovely new place with a huge (compared to what I'm used to, anyway) garden. I've no idea how I'm going to cope with it all, but I have in my plan a space for a raised bed or two for vegetables and herbs. Only problem is, they'd be under our TPO'd, massive oak tree (English, Common or Pedunculate - however you wish to identify it!). The oak tree is to the north, and the lowest dangler is about 3.5-5m from the ground, though most of the canopy is 10m or higher, so the proposed veg plot would be shaded a bit during the day, but not too much. It's a stunning tree and I love having it there, but I am concerned that the sap would have an effect on things beneath.
Does anyone have experience of trying to grow things under oak trees? I've heard lettuce is good... or will I be stuck with nothing but mushrooms?!
Posts
Yeah, the grass under it atm is doing okay, but you're probably right that veg would need some extra irrigation!
Not a good idea to bury the tree's roots under extra layers of soil either.
If the garden is that big, you can surely find space for veggie beds in full sun which is what most need - except salad leaves, chervil, parsley. Rhubarb can cope with a bit of shade but needs deep, rich, moisture retentive soil to do well.
I suggest you spend the first year in your garden noting what is where, what you like; what you don't like, when they appear and disappear; when the sun gets to each bit at different times of year; what needs to be lifted/divided/moved/swapped with mates or binned and so on.
Then you can make a sensible plan of what and where to grow and what you need to do or buy or sow to achieve it. In the mean time, weed and feed and mow and prune to keep it looking as good as can be while you get to know it.
Oh bums. I was hoping some brave person would have attempted it and be able to offer their experiences (or horror stories).
Unfortunately the only sunny spots have already been dedicated to patio, pond and lawn, so the veg patch will probs just have to lose out. Maybe I'll put the bird feeders and a hedgehog house in that corner, and stick to patio herbing instead
We know where the the sun hits through the year pretty well now - I took photographs at midday each time we visited the house as it was being built, and mapped out the shadows through the quarters.
Yeah, my idea of a huge garden is probably what most people on here would describe as quaint. Hah.
Oh well, thanks for your warnings. Well heeded.
*sorry, re-posted earlier message somehow*
I'd have snowdrops and cyclamen and bulbs that do their thing when the leaves are off the tree. You could have a wildlife attracting logpile as well and a shady seat for summer days.
Are you allowed to make oak leaf wine from the leaves of a tree with a TPO?
One of the best
In the sticks near Peterborough
Ooh, I like those ideas. Oak leaf wine?? **Googles frantically**
I'd never heard of it, but now I'm intrigued. Used to make wine at the last place, so I have all the kit and was lamenting the lack of grapes... But all those oak leaves in autumn could actually come in handy. Thanks for the suggestion - would never have looked into it otherwise!
edit: ah, I see the leaves have to be young. Next year and a very long grabber at night then
Noob, in spring with new unfolding leaves, a bucket, not packed in hard, makes a gallon.
Lovely light wine and you sometinmes get a natural secondary fermentation. One of my best, second only to gooseberry.
My oaks are probably big enough to take a few leaves off now. Haven't made wine for years. I wonder where I put those demijohns.
In the sticks near Peterborough