Food forests and gardens

The food forest gardening approach is the creation of systems which are productive and abundant yet which require very little maintenance. It is entirely possible to design and plant a forest which, within a relatively short period of time is productive and relatively self-maintaining.
By exploiting the premise of companion planting, trees, shrubs and herbs can be intermixed to grow on multiple levels in the same area, as do the plants in a forest.
We can consciously apply the principles of ecology to the design of home scale gardens that mimic forest ecosystem structure and function, but at the same time grow food, fuel, fiber, fodder, fertilizer and medicine.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Permaculture Guilds

A Permaculture guild is more than fruit tree companion planting or planting companion vegetables and herbs. That's because Permaculture emulates the productivity of natural ecosystems by incorporating animals too.fruit tree companion planting
So, what is a guild?
A guild in Permaculture landscape design is a harmonious assembly of species (plant or animal) physically associated with a central plant or animal species to provide it with some benefit.why do we use companion
So, guild plant or animal species are strategically selected to boost the productivity of the central animal or plant element. The central element can be a fruit tree, for example. The guild members, then, must either improve its yield or reduce the work needed to manage it. fruit tree companion planting
By design, this enhances the overall self sufficiency and sustainability of the system. different methods of self sufficiency
The range of benefits that can be derived from guild species include:
Providing mulch:
Plants that either act as a living mulch (e.g. nasturtium, sweet potato,) or shed mulch onto the soil (e.g. banna grass, poplar) form a protective cover over soil thereby improving soil conditions and retaining moisture. planting companion vegetables and herbs
Nasturtium and borage are great in fruit tree guilds.
Offering shelter and protection from frost, wind or sun:
Hardy nitrogen-fixing “nurse” species (e.g. honey locust, acacia, tagasaste) interplanted with orchard trees can moderate frost effects, nutrify soils, and provide mulch and shading for sensitive fruit trees such as avocado and citrus.
Others planted as a windbreak bordering orchards (e.g. cane grasses, poplar, Casuarina) can be used to deflect or diminish frost and drying or damaging winds.
Hosting predators:
Many predators of garden pests (e.g. wasps) only hunt to feed their offspring, themselves being wholly nectar feeders. Providing forage for adult stages is thus part of companion planting for a bug free garden (most small flowered plants provide this, including umbelliferous plants such as carrots, parsnip, fennel, dill and coriander, and others like various daisies, acacias and tamarisk).companion planting bug free garden
Remove pest habitat:
Larval forms of orchard pests such as fruit fly flourish and multiply in fallen fruit, so seasonally introducing a forager such as pigs or poultry aids in pest control while adding fertilizer (and tilth if left too long) to soil.
Prey on or deter pests:
Insect eating birds (e.g. honey-eaters) can be encouraged by planting a few nectar producing and insect hosting plants (e.g. buddleia, banksias, dryandras, fuschias, callistemon, salvia) scattered around your orchard and vegetable growing zones.
Eagles and other birds of prey can be kept around to deter parrots and other fruit spoilers by keeping rabbits, pigeons or guinea pigs in your orchard. Alternatively, hawk kites flown overhead can be even more effective if not overused. A single alpaca or donkey amongst your sheep will keep foxes away.
Most duck breeds (not muscovy) will clean up slugs and snails and can be ranged through your food producing areas periodically when their appetite for seedlings will not compromise your yield.
Killing root parasites or pests:
(e.g. Tagetes marigolds fumigate soils against nematodes and grasses, while Crotalaria [Australian Bird Plant] disables nematodes that damage citrus and solanum plants [e.g. potatoe, tomatoe, eggplant, capsicum]).
Providing nutrients:
Nutrient enhancing plants can be allowed to grow then slashed periodically to provide mulch (e.g. nitrogen fixing plants such as clovers, tagastaste, acacias, lucerne, and casuarinas; and high humus producers such as bananas). Foraging animals periodically allowed into the system also provide nutrients in the form of manure.
Facilitating root penetration:
Unlike grasses some plants offer an open root structure that does not interfere with the central plant’s ability to feed at the soil surface (e.g. comfrey, winter and spring bulbs, comfrey, globe artichoke). Such plants should be established in orchards in place of grass to boost productivity.f
Grass is a poor companion to fruit trees as it interferes with surface root penetration
Convenient harvesting:
It’s an interesting fact that plants that make good companions often taste great together too! So growing them together not only improves their yield but also simplifies the job of harvesting. (e.g. marigolds grown with tomatoes, parsley, basil deter nematodes and contribute petals to eat in salads; dill grown under apple trees host predatory wasps and tastes great with apples raw or cooked). fru

23 comments:

  1. I really loved your blog on Guilds!! So informative. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  2. What makes us crave certain foods? Why do we eat what we eat? Is it chemistry? Is it all in our heads? There is always a reason for overeating. If food tastes really good, it sort of makes us want to eat more. The scientists tell us that it is mostly in our heads. They say it is in specific areas of our brain, and that these are the same areas that are responsible for our memory and sense of pleasure. Our bodies respond to foods that are high in fat, salt, and sugar. This produces a high by stimulating specific areas of our brain. Our ability or capacity to control holiday food cravings is easier when we know why crave foods. This is consistent the axiom "knowing why makes what easier." Cow Ghee

    ReplyDelete
  3. What makes us crave certain foods? Why do we eat what we eat? Is it chemistry? Is it all in our heads? There is always a reason for overeating. If food tastes really good, it sort of makes us want to eat more. The scientists tell us that it is mostly in our heads. They say it is in specific areas of our brain, and that these are the same areas that are responsible for our memory and sense of pleasure. Our bodies respond to foods that are high in fat, salt, and sugar. This produces a high by stimulating specific areas of our brain. Our ability or capacity to control holiday food cravings is easier when we know why crave foods. This is consistent the axiom "knowing why makes what easier." mexican recipes

    ReplyDelete
  4. This article will be exactly about our health topic, natural remedies for life, and eating whole foods as well as the principles for life. Just because you might eat half a pie or a whole pie does not mean that you're eating a whole food. In fact, this article is all about whole foods. It has nothing to do with processed foods. bán chanh dây

    ReplyDelete
  5. What makes us crave certain foods? Why do we eat what we eat? Is it chemistry? Is it all in our heads? There is always a reason for overeating. If food tastes really good, it sort of makes us want to eat more. The scientists tell us that it is mostly in our heads. They say it is in specific areas of our brain, and that these are the same areas that are responsible for our memory and sense of pleasure. Our bodies respond to foods that are high in fat, salt, and sugar. This produces a high by stimulating specific areas of our brain. Our ability or capacity to control holiday food cravings is easier when we know why crave foods. This is consistent the axiom "knowing why makes what easier." kỹ thuật trồng chanh không hạt

    ReplyDelete
  6. What makes us crave certain foods? Why do we eat what we eat? Is it chemistry? Is it all in our heads? There is always a reason for overeating. If food tastes really good, it sort of makes us want to eat more. The scientists tell us that it is mostly in our heads. They say it is in specific areas of our brain, and that these are the same areas that are responsible for our memory and sense of pleasure. Our bodies respond to foods that are high in fat, salt, and sugar. This produces a high by stimulating specific areas of our brain. Our ability or capacity to control holiday food cravings is easier when we know why crave foods. This is consistent the axiom "knowing why makes what easier." Cultured ghee benefits

    ReplyDelete
  7. This blog was very nicely formatted; it maintained a flow from the first word to the last. Purple Aladdin Vest

    ReplyDelete
  8. What makes us crave certain foods? Why do we eat what we eat? Is it chemistry? Is it all in our heads? There is always a reason for overeating. If food tastes really good, it sort of makes us want to eat more. The scientists tell us that it is mostly in our heads. They say it is in specific areas of our brain, and that these are the same areas that are responsible for our memory and sense of pleasure. Our bodies respond to foods that are high in fat, salt, and sugar. This produces a high by stimulating specific areas of our brain. Our ability or capacity to control holiday food cravings is easier when we know why crave foods. This is consistent the axiom "knowing why makes what easier." best cast iron skillet for outdoors

    ReplyDelete
  9. Fantastic blog i have never ever read this type of amazing information.
    Punisher Jacket

    ReplyDelete
  10. Even as a gardener, I find there is something different and special about growing my own vegetables. As much as I marvel at producing beautiful plants for my garden from seed or cuttings and seeing them take their place in the flower bed, there is an added something that really seems to complete this process when you grow vegetables. For me that is picking, cooking and eating the plants I have produced -complete satisfaction. You don't need a huge piece of land to create a successful vegetable plot and there are many different ways of vegetable gardening. But first there are a few points to consider when designing a plot. carote

    ReplyDelete
  11. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Classical Chinese gardens and fountains are more than collections of beautiful plants, trees and water. They are representations of nature, providing insight into the philosophical and spiritual mind of past Chinese artisans and high-ranking citizens. Gilbert tree service

    ReplyDelete
  13. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  14. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  15. What makes us crave certain foods? Why do we eat what we eat? Is it chemistry? Is it all in our heads? There is always a reason for overeating. If food tastes really good, it sort of makes us want to eat more. The scientists tell us that it is mostly in our heads. They say it is in specific areas of our brain, and that these are the same areas that are responsible for our memory and sense of pleasure. Our bodies respond to foods that are high in fat, salt, and sugar. This produces a high by stimulating specific areas of our brain. Our ability or capacity to control holiday food cravings is easier when we know why crave foods. This is consistent the axiom "knowing why makes what easier." Chinese love to eat goodies

    ReplyDelete
  16. What makes us crave certain foods? Why do we eat what we eat? Is it chemistry? Is it all in our heads? There is always a reason for overeating. If food tastes really good, it sort of makes us want to eat more. The scientists tell us that it is mostly in our heads. They say it is in specific areas of our brain, and that these are the same areas that are responsible for our memory and sense of pleasure. Our bodies respond to foods that are high in fat, salt, and sugar. This produces a high by stimulating specific areas of our brain. Our ability or capacity to control holiday food cravings is easier when we know why crave foods. This is consistent the axiom "knowing why makes what easier." https://goldencorralguides.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  17. What makes us crave certain foods? Why do we eat what we eat? Is it chemistry? Is it all in our heads? There is always a reason for overeating. If food tastes really good, it sort of makes us want to eat more. The scientists tell us that it is mostly in our heads. They say it is in specific areas of our brain, and that these are the same areas that are responsible for our memory and sense of pleasure. Our bodies respond to foods that are high in fat, salt, and sugar. This produces a high by stimulating specific areas of our brain. Our ability or capacity to control holiday food cravings is easier when we know why crave foods. This is consistent the axiom "knowing why makes what easier." order online

    ReplyDelete
  18. What makes us crave certain foods? Why do we eat what we eat? Is it chemistry? Is it all in our heads? There is always a reason for overeating. If food tastes really good, it sort of makes us want to eat more. The scientists tell us that it is mostly in our heads. They say it is in specific areas of our brain, and that these are the same areas that are responsible for our memory and sense of pleasure. Our bodies respond to foods that are high in fat, salt, and sugar. This produces a high by stimulating specific areas of our brain. Our ability or capacity to control holiday food cravings is easier when we know why crave foods. This is consistent the axiom "knowing why makes what easier." Cold Pressed Oil

    ReplyDelete
  19. Everyone has heard of dehydrated foods. It's the simplest and least-expensive way to store food for longer periods of time; it's something that's more affordable for families to do at home--if they can afford to spend the time preparing and dehydrating foods for emergency food storage.  But what of freeze-dried foods? 스포츠토토먹튀검증

    ReplyDelete
  20. Your site is good Actually, i have seen your post and That was very informative and very entertaining for me.
    Arthur Morgan Jacket

    ReplyDelete
  21. Classical Chinese gardens and fountains are more than collections of beautiful plants, trees and water. They are representations of nature, providing insight into the philosophical and spiritual mind of past Chinese artisans and high-ranking citizens. Tree Trimming

    ReplyDelete
  22. The hanging gardens of Babylon were probably the most famous roof gardens of all time. One of the Seven Wonders of the World probably constructed during the rebuilding of Babylon by Nebuchadrezzar II to console his wife Amytis who missed the greenery of her homeland, Media. We only have mention of the gardens from writings made 200 years after their destruction probably by Xerxes I around 482BC. It is described as having lofty stone terraces, closely reproduced mountain scenery with planting to create the mountain surroundings of Media. Tree Planting Kelowna

    ReplyDelete