Plant This for MORE FOOD with LESS WORK! (Easy Fruit Tree Guild) | Irish Garden

Welcome back to the garden!
In today’s video, I’m planting a brand new fruit tree guild around one of our young apple trees here in the kitchen garden. I’ll walk you through the six essential plant groups that work together to create a healthy, resilient, and beautiful ecosystem under your fruit trees – including dynamic accumulators, nitrogen fixers, pollinator-friendly flowers, pest repellents, mulching plants, and weed suppressors.

This method is inspired by permaculture and no dig principles – building a natural support system for the tree while making the most of every inch of growing space. Whether you're planning your first fruit tree or refreshing an old planting, I hope this brings you ideas and encouragement to create your own thriving guild.

As always, this is real-life gardening in the Irish countryside – slow, seasonal, and done with muddy hands and love.

If you’re dreaming of a more self-sufficient garden or just want to tuck a few flowers and herbs around your trees, I hope this video inspires you to give it a go. Let me know in the comments if you’ve planted a fruit tree guild before, or which companions you’ve had the most success with! 🌸

Mentioned in this video:
🍏 How to choose companion plants for fruit trees
🌱 What to plant under apple trees for better pollination, soil, and pest control
📋 The six essential plant functions for a fruit tree guild
🛠️ My step-by-step planting process


00:00 Introduction: Planting a Fruit Tree Guild
01:18 Overview of My Existing Apple Tree Guilds
01:51 Common Question: What Rootstock Do I Use?
03:52 Choosing the Right Size and Position for Your Guild
06:43 Preparing the Ground and Clearing Existing Plants
08:02 Planning for Sunlight and Shade
08:47 Dynamic Accumulators Explained (Borage & Comfrey)
12:09 Mulching Plants: Benefits of Lupins and Comfrey
13:53 Suppressor Plants: Keeping Weeds Under Control
15:13 Nitrogen Fixers: Lupins and Sweet Peas
17:23 Watering and Caring for New Plantings
18:01 Pollinator-Friendly and Pest-Repellent Plants
19:56 Additional Plant Ideas from My Existing Guilds
21:26 Top Tips for a Successful Fruit Tree Guild
24:16 Future Ideas: Expanding Your Fruit Tree Guild
24:51 Final Thoughts and Invitation for Your Suggestions



If you enjoyed this, don’t forget to like (thumbs up 👍) and subscribe (🔔) for more real-life gardening moments.
Happy gardening! 🌿

All the best, Maiju and Snowy 😊💚🌿

Other Playlists:
Kitchen Garden:    • Kitchen Garden  
Ornamentals:    • Ornamental Plants and Flowers  
The Green Roof:    • Green Roof  

If you would like to support this channel and help with content creation, please use the link for a once-off donation https://www.buymeacoffee.com/spudsand...
There's no pressure, and thank you for considering it. And a huge thank you to those who have supported my gardening channel so far!

Follow us on Instagram:
  / spuds.and.roses  

#FruitTreeGuild #NoDigGarden #AppleTreeCompanions #Permaculture #IrishGarden #KitchenGarden #OrganicGardening #GardenDesign #PollinatorPlants #SoilHealth #EdibleGarden