The design of my food forest uses 3 swales planted with fruit/nut crops along with perennial berries and vegetables. Each plant was selected to fill a niche but also offer some sort for food yeild as well. Once established very few other plants should have room to grow. Instead of weeding, I will be managing the perennials and harvesting. While the perennials establish, I am taking advantage of the light between the rows to grow subsistence crops like potatoes, squash and garlic. When I grow the annuals, I bring fertility into the food forest. When the canopy closes and there isn't enough light to grow the subsistence crops any more, I will have built soil to feed the fruit trees for a long time. There's more to it, but that's the high level concept of my food forest design.
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I failed at building my food forest but learned much in the attempt.
One of the biggest lessons was neglecting the role that animals played & their importance. The second was the importance of harnessing & directing the flow of water.
Looking forward to acquiring a new peice of land & making a second attempt.
🧡🤙
I spent 2 years building soil before I planted the first tree. The soil I was starting with was compacted over farmed soy and corn field.
Patience is certainly a big part of it. I moved a rock the other day and saw a worm. It made me so happy!
Animals and insects have been a big challenge here. We have voles and wild pigs. I’m going to try a stinging nettle fence to discourage the swine. The voles evade the cats. They are a real problem.
I think each location has it's own unique set of challenges & opportunities.
I'm in the subtropics so insects (and certain diseases/fungus) have been a big problem of mine too.
I don't have voles here but I have a family of bandicoots that put holes in the ground everywhere. I don't grow many annuals any more, so they aren't too much of an issue. I'm re-establishing my veggie beds though, so that situation may not last. A permie friend suggested that I become comfortable that they're eating my lawn beetles & airrating my soil for me.
A big part of permaculture is turning a problem into a benefit. I have thought of trapping & eating the bandicoots but I'm not that in need of food sources just yet. 😂
My general approach is to grow things that don't require as much attention. Things that have natural resistances to the local insects & fungi. If the plant can't handle the location, I try a different plant. I really don't want to be molly coddling plants that are unsuited to my location.
Good luck 🧡🤙
I’ve realized many of these same things in my journey. It’s nice to share experiences.
We have some clay soil here. We fought it for a while until I learned to leverage species that prefer the environment to improve and utilize the soil. I believe the next step is to integrate meaningful food crops into the established flora web, a food forest. It’s brilliant. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
Exactly forests grow through a process of succession so there are phases with different plants that create the proper environment for the next phase of plants and development to take place. It all depends on the specifics of the situation of course.
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