Inside the forest system there is a closed loop. Resources are produced within the system, they are abundant and renewable. organic material doesn't leave the system, but rather breaks down and is reused. The forest's complexity is the core of its reproducibility. Functions of one organism and their byproducts feed those of others. There is a symbiosis between organisms. In a forest or forest garden if one of these functions is lacking or broken, then the system suffers. It is misguided to think that nature is a vast landscape of competing species, it is an interconnected hive of fertility. The complex layering of elements creates conditions for the most productivity.
The land around us wants to turn back into a forest. What would happen if you didn't mow or chemically alter your lawn for just one summer? There would be something other than grass growing amongst it. Modern agriculture spends loads of resources to control the land and stop it from reverting to its natural state. In a forest garden one does not try and beat back the forest, only to shape it. Forest "like" is the optimal phrasing, because this forest has a care taker who attempts to mimic natural systems but has the ability to speed up and enhance them. As your forest garden matures less input is needed to manage it. Like a real forest it has all that it needs and returns each year with virtually no external input.
Mimicking the natural forest is as easy as observing and understanding how species work together. One simple observation we could make is that plants do not space themselves in perfect rows, they grow right next to each other in wild abandon. A food forest of all trees and no understory is actually an orchard. Their pattern is chaos, which can be troublesome for the human eye. Another observation is that certain plants fill certain niches. Areas with more or less moisture, areas that have more or less sun, each plant has conditions at which it performs best.
A forest garden profile can be broken down into the dominant specie groups for land usage, zone, and height. This is only a profile of plant life, from the top down in order of height.
1. Canape or Climax trees, these can be tall nut trees, timber trees, or nitrogen fixing trees.
1-A.The forest is full of vine or climbing species which fill the gaps in the canape. It is important to note that not all vines stunt the trees growth but actually help regulate the amount of sun that the tree is exposed to. (There is a limit to how much sun a tree can convert into useable energy)
2. Second are smaller understory trees, might consist of fruit trees (i.e. apples, citrus, or stone fruit)
3. Below that is the bush, shrub, or cane fruit layer, including woody plants (high bush and low bush)
4. Herbaceous plants or non woody plants that die back in the winter fill the spaces between the bush layer
5. The ground covering creeping plants protect the soil
6. Rhizomes or tuber layer, are plants grown for their bulbous and energy storing root system. Fungi also occupy this niche and are essential for forest health
What specific plants make up these zones? The answer to that depends on your climate zone. Again it is always best to begin designing with native species. The plants are important but it is not any individual plant that is necessary for the design. The important aspect of picking plants is the relationships that one will have with another, and that an area chosen for the plants specific needs is available. Diversity ensures that ecological niches are filled. When plants are combined they form a poly-culture.
Where does the design of a forest garden start? One essential for any plants survival is water. Digging in a swale is one way to ensure your Forest garden is well irrigated especially when it is first being established. Young plants without deep roots would have difficulties reaching the water table. Shelter and dappled shade are important for young plants, too much sun and a young plant can get burned, and strong winds can do physical damage as well as wick away water and soil. So called pioneer plants which take on the role of breaking new ground can handle full sun and readily die back when conditions improve for other species. Most human made systems skip this step by planting partially matured trees or bringing in organic matter to amend the soil.
Dynamic accumulators and nitrogen fixing plants are a great way to start a self sustaining system. All plants need nitrogen to grow but it is not always abundant in the soil. However nitrogen is abundant in the air and certain plants (most legumes) fix nitrogen into the soil with the help of microbial growth on their roots. Large tap rooted plants can actually bring water and nutrients up from depths and are made available for the plants around them. Roots are very powerful they have the ability to work their way through stone and absorb important trace minerals.
Guilds are harmonious grouping of plants that grow better than they would on their own. They interact passively, with root zones that do not conflict, differing light requirements, special growing habits, and beneficial byproducts. A forest garden might be an assembly of species that would most likely not occur in nature but are mutually beneficial in more than one way. In balance these plants should be healthier as well as produce higher yields.
Other benifits of food forestry include
for a comprehensive list of plants, try the Plants for a Future database
A deeper understanding of plant guilds by Midwest Permaculture
The land around us wants to turn back into a forest. What would happen if you didn't mow or chemically alter your lawn for just one summer? There would be something other than grass growing amongst it. Modern agriculture spends loads of resources to control the land and stop it from reverting to its natural state. In a forest garden one does not try and beat back the forest, only to shape it. Forest "like" is the optimal phrasing, because this forest has a care taker who attempts to mimic natural systems but has the ability to speed up and enhance them. As your forest garden matures less input is needed to manage it. Like a real forest it has all that it needs and returns each year with virtually no external input.
Mimicking the natural forest is as easy as observing and understanding how species work together. One simple observation we could make is that plants do not space themselves in perfect rows, they grow right next to each other in wild abandon. A food forest of all trees and no understory is actually an orchard. Their pattern is chaos, which can be troublesome for the human eye. Another observation is that certain plants fill certain niches. Areas with more or less moisture, areas that have more or less sun, each plant has conditions at which it performs best.
A forest garden profile can be broken down into the dominant specie groups for land usage, zone, and height. This is only a profile of plant life, from the top down in order of height.
1. Canape or Climax trees, these can be tall nut trees, timber trees, or nitrogen fixing trees.
1-A.The forest is full of vine or climbing species which fill the gaps in the canape. It is important to note that not all vines stunt the trees growth but actually help regulate the amount of sun that the tree is exposed to. (There is a limit to how much sun a tree can convert into useable energy)
2. Second are smaller understory trees, might consist of fruit trees (i.e. apples, citrus, or stone fruit)
3. Below that is the bush, shrub, or cane fruit layer, including woody plants (high bush and low bush)
4. Herbaceous plants or non woody plants that die back in the winter fill the spaces between the bush layer
5. The ground covering creeping plants protect the soil
6. Rhizomes or tuber layer, are plants grown for their bulbous and energy storing root system. Fungi also occupy this niche and are essential for forest health
What specific plants make up these zones? The answer to that depends on your climate zone. Again it is always best to begin designing with native species. The plants are important but it is not any individual plant that is necessary for the design. The important aspect of picking plants is the relationships that one will have with another, and that an area chosen for the plants specific needs is available. Diversity ensures that ecological niches are filled. When plants are combined they form a poly-culture.
Where does the design of a forest garden start? One essential for any plants survival is water. Digging in a swale is one way to ensure your Forest garden is well irrigated especially when it is first being established. Young plants without deep roots would have difficulties reaching the water table. Shelter and dappled shade are important for young plants, too much sun and a young plant can get burned, and strong winds can do physical damage as well as wick away water and soil. So called pioneer plants which take on the role of breaking new ground can handle full sun and readily die back when conditions improve for other species. Most human made systems skip this step by planting partially matured trees or bringing in organic matter to amend the soil.
Dynamic accumulators and nitrogen fixing plants are a great way to start a self sustaining system. All plants need nitrogen to grow but it is not always abundant in the soil. However nitrogen is abundant in the air and certain plants (most legumes) fix nitrogen into the soil with the help of microbial growth on their roots. Large tap rooted plants can actually bring water and nutrients up from depths and are made available for the plants around them. Roots are very powerful they have the ability to work their way through stone and absorb important trace minerals.
Guilds are harmonious grouping of plants that grow better than they would on their own. They interact passively, with root zones that do not conflict, differing light requirements, special growing habits, and beneficial byproducts. A forest garden might be an assembly of species that would most likely not occur in nature but are mutually beneficial in more than one way. In balance these plants should be healthier as well as produce higher yields.
Other benifits of food forestry include
- Wildlife husbandry
- indigenous local food supply
- soil fertility and erosion control
- Facilitation of the water cycle
for a comprehensive list of plants, try the Plants for a Future database
A deeper understanding of plant guilds by Midwest Permaculture
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