Hi tmtresh,

I was just wondering if the same goes for flowers. Should you not
plant
flowers around the base of new trees either? Seems I read somewhere
it was
just grass because there are so many roots so close together that it
robs
nutrients from the trees.

This is in my Agroforestry notes, but don't know where it come from
already:

[Agroforestry start]

The ability of plants to withdraw soil moisture and nutrients is
strongly
associated with the amount of fine roots that they have. Ground
vegetation
that quickly establishes a dense, shallow, fibrous root system, such
as many
perennial grasses, competes severely with newly planted trees. Young,
establishing trees may be killed by drought stress in thick stands of
ground
vegetation, but substantial reduction in tree growth is more common
than
actual mortality. Dense stands of brush may reduce the growth of even
established trees.

Once trees overtop and establish deep roots beneath the rooting zone
of
competing ground vegetation, competition for moisture and light is
largely
one-sided, with trees reducing understory production, but understory
having
little effect upon overstory trees.

[Agroforestry start]

This read to me that those fast growing flower will compete with tree
as well.

Regards,
Wong

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Latitude: 06.10N Longitude: 102.17E Altitude: 5m