Topic: edible plants under apple trees?

[gwynleg]

I have finally cleared under two apple trees for the first time since I got my lottie. It is south facing so when the trees are bare/early spring there is a lot of light but obviously gets more shady later on. I am going to put some (tamed!) wild garlic in. Any other options for edible plants please. (If not I will put lots of bulbs and suitable flowers in there).
Thanks for any advice

[saddad]

I've done Summer Onions from sets in a similar position...  :)

[artichoke]

I have rhubarb and lovage growing strongly under a long established apple tree. I hoped it would slow them both down a bit, but it doesn't. The tree seems all right as well, a large crop of apples every year except last year, which I think was due to a late frost.

[Russell]

You don't say much about the apple trees. If they are any good you need to be able to access them for Pruning, Picking and Pest Control. The Pest Control includes regular (ideally daily) removal of windfalls to deter Codling Moth. Your veggies should not get in the way of this vital maintenance. I keep my fruit and veggies separate and just grow grass under the fruit.

[Tonythegardener]

When I first started gardening in the olden days, our next door neighbour had two big eating apple trees in his vegetable garden.  He rotated vegetables quite strictly and inevitably they all were grown at some time under the canopy of the apple trees. 
It was a while ago but I cannot remember him having any less of a crop because of the trees.  Having said this, he kept about 300 hens in his back garden and used the manure from the hen houses on his vegetable patch.   This might have had more to do with it...  Well the moral of the story might be that, if you are planting below a fruit tree, you need to add some well rotted chicken manure to get good crops. 

[Robert_Brenchley]

I've just put raspberries under one of mine. No doubt I'll be getting catch crops alongside it.