I think I've nearly completed planting out my subtropical #Syntropic food system for the moment. I scored a new variety of banana, some Qld arrowroot & a pocket full of pigeon pea seeds yesterday, which are now planted.

There's an emphasis on building out the placenta of your system before adding in high value trees. I've added some citrus, avocado, a Brazilian custard apple, yellow mangostein & an Abui tree. We're heading into summer (hot & wet) so I think they'll do ok.

Most of what I've planted has cost me zero dollars because I used what I already had growing somewhere else. Some of these produce food & all produce biomass which will feed the system & provide cover for the soil. Most were planted for their bio mass & root exudates rather than any food outcome. I could eat or sell the food if I had to, but it's not the primary goal.

What I've planted for low/ground layer:

- Comfrey
- Yakon
- Ginger
- Tumeric
- Taro
- Vetiver grass

What I've planted for medium layer:

- Ice cream bean (every 40cm - this will play a major role & can be thinned if necessary - it probably won't be allowed to get high)
- Cassava
- Pigeon pea 
- Moringa cuttings
- Mulberry cuttings 
- Banana
- Tamarillo
- Canistel (seeds from fruit bought)

What I've planted for high/emergent layer:
- Eucalyptus
- Acacia (getting a few volunteers popping up too)
- Macadamia (from nuts grown locally)

My job now is to keep the grass & vines from dominating before what I've planted can establish itself & shade them out. I'll largely be doing this carefully using a scythe rather than uprooting them. Over time some plants will die out from shade as the system matures.

I think my biggest mistake was not planning out more logic for where I put stuff. I'll see how big a mistake this was with time I guess. My next row/system will likely be created a little more strategically.

Always be learning, growing & expanding.

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 I'm so here for this. 

 I'm thinking Syntropic rows every 4-5 metres would make great laneways to run pigs between. 

You could run bovine but I think pigs could be largely fed by bio mass produced in the Syntropic rows. Needing external inputs are what turns me off running pigs.

If you had enough rows, you could also plant annual crops once the pigs have moved on. 

 You can only theorise so much before just doing it. But I'm so interested in the outcomes and challenges. 

 100% nothing beats real world experience.

What's really apparent is the tradeoffs you make as you fill in the various layers of the system.

If your primary goal was feeding pigs or cattle you'd plant things out quite differently.

My primary goal is to increase the value of my land before I upgrade to a bigger plot. My secondary goal is increasing my knowledge & experience. I also want to acquire plant genes that I can take with me when I have more land. 

If I get some nice fruit & have an emergency store of starchy root vegetables, it's a nice bonus.