Almost all commercial recs recommend keeping a weed free strip of about 3 feet on either side of the tree. Some fruit growers will use a pre-emergent, but I believe glyphosate (Roundup) is by far the most common herbicide for keeping a weed free strip.

Glyphosate is very inexpensive. As I recall, it's about 40 bucks for 2.5 gal (41%). At most you only use a quart per acre. Because only a thin strip of area is actually treated, a quart will actually treat acres and acres of fruit trees. From a cost standpoint, on a per tree basis, we are talking cents per tree.

Here, most growers apply glyphosate under the trees by mounting a small electric spray tank to an off-set mower with a spray nozzle or two toward the end of the off-set. Then when they mow under the trees, they can flip a switch and spray a herbicide strip at the same time. The trunks of the trees are sprayed along with the weeds.

Young orchards can't be sprayed this way unless the trunks are protected because the compound will be absorbed by the smooth bark of the trunk.

I use mostly mulch for my small orchard. Most orchards don't consider this cost effective, but I like to use less pesticide when possible and also like the other benefits of mulch. I do use glyphosate to spot spray weeds, but we use a wand to do that.

Home growers often don't need to control weeds once trees are established if they have decent soil. Something to stop the weed whacker from tearing the bark and the usual lawn maintenance leaves plenty of soil for trees to work in when good, deep soil is involved.

When I plant orchards I usually plant high, dress with 4 cubic feet compost and cover a 5' ring with mulch as my weed control. In "meadow" situations where owners mow only once or twice a year, I sometimes use fabric below the mulch.

Sometimes we keep the mulch going for 3 years, lifting the fabric each time at sites it's used- sometimes we mulch indefinitely, depending of the vigor of the trees and the tastes of the owner.

Gala, I should have mentioned, if you are using glyphosate for weed control, you may or may not be aware you don't want to use it the latter half of the growing season. During that time there is a much greater risk the tree will translocate more of the compound to the roots.

If you are concerned about injuring the fruit trees, just do it when it's not too warm and apply with a wick stick- you can even treat stonefruit safely this way. Make sure there are no suckers.