I have started a new food forest project for a client . The land is incline and moderately jolting with a thick regrowth of scrubby tree . Most of the exist trees areLeucaena leucocephala , but I have found a melon tree , some Abelmoschus esculentus limbo , and a few other species that may be utile .
Since the Leucaena trees are N - methadone hydrochloride , I ’m not go to remove them from the system . rather , I ’m cutting them down to 3′ summit so I can plant fruit trees in between them , then as the Leucaena grow back , I ’ll cut them again and again for nitrogen - fixation and mulch . When I give my North Florida solid food forest , Iskipped the nitrogen - fixer step , which I should n’t have done . This time they ’re already there , so I ’m going with it .
you’re able to see what I ’ve done so far here :
As I was look up melodic theme , I came acrossan old ribbon at permies about base food forests in existing woods .
In it , Brenda Goth shares some first-class advice :
“ Autumn is a wonderful time to start planning this .. before the nose candy falls but while the leaf are off of the trees .
first plan your track through the Wood , your destinations should be through the woods with wide of the mark enough trails to access with equipment that you ’ll be going into the Wood with , whether it be a truck , tractor or ATV ..
while you are planning your trails , go around really nice tree and take down any crowd , injured or drop dead trees in the track proper .. avoid sharp curves that might not be transferrable when leaves are on the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree ..
see for solid food industrial plant that might already be there , such as bramble berries or fox grapes .. mushrooms .. etc .
mob up any wood intersection that you have left over after removing your firewood and lumber Natalie Wood , along the side of your trails into sphere to machinate hugel bed or for woodpiles for your animal llife ..
check for any clearing field that might naturally already be in your woods , and run your trails to these glade areas as these will be area where you will want to plant your sunlovers ..
also project yuour south and Orient boundary for sunlover as well ..
gaterh excess muclhy and compostables to go into beds along your course and catch for region where you could put in yield tree diagram and yield or berry bearing shrub .. if you have a chipper some of your leg can be chipped for mulch , bed making or path top .. these will also be good areas to put mushroom , which can develop even in your pathways .
in some out of the mode semi cheery places put your brambles along your track , verify you’re able to get at them from both side ..
if you have some snags you’re able to grow grapes or kiwi vine up through the rip , honeyberry is another possibliity ..
you ’ll want to layer thing with yourcanopytrees behind uyour fruit trees and berry shrubs and your cheery flora in front of those , greens can rise in the shadier domain .. lettuces and cole crop will grow in the more prolific semi shady areas ..
also if you have some open area you might ocnsider some ut trees .. and remember your wildlife will enjoy your trail too , so consider that when planting them….esp when you go to harvest your blackberries ( might also regain abearharvesting them like we do here ) ”
The way of life in my sometime food for thought forest were “ design ” by mowing the grass in flowing trails through the yard and allow the pot and light touch grow in the balance of the place . Over clip , we figured out where the kid were cutting through the marvellous sens and we write out those areas too . The entree was mostly to the yield trees , gate to the neighbor ’s yard , mailbox , front of the business firm and berry patches . I like letting paths evolve that way .
I like set out with some Ellen Price Wood already . Yes , it ’s more clearing piece of work , but there ’s also a lot more animation and protection from the constituent than there is when you start with a plot of land of grass .
