Author Topic: Food Forest  (Read 2011 times)

ProGeek

Food Forest
« on: December 29, 2019, 11:45:17 AM »
I'm following Rick Austin's Secret Garden of Survival book. I went to his talk at prepper camp and became inspired. I wish it had more details. It just provides a general plan with no complete examples. I also read other materials on permaculture that helped me understand better. There doesn't seem to be a "plant these things in this spot" or "make it this big" examples. So I made my own plan the best I could for our area. Prepping the ground for the food forest was a lot more work than expected. It took about 5 times as long as I expected. The nursery shipped 2 weeks quicker than expected, so I was not ready to plant and was rushed. So far I've planted 3 trees, 6 blueberries, and 25 strawberries. By the next morning before I could get the fencing up, my goats got in, maybe deer too, and had stripped the bark completely off one tree and some off the other 2, as well as all the leaves off the blueberries. Not happy. That 1 tree was $40, the others should survive. I have yet to order 2 more trees, 12 shrubs, and the somewhat uncommon herbs described in the book. After all that, I need to plan for spring planting of veggies and common herbs. I hope it works as well as Rick Austin's does.
If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.

RWS

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Re: Food Forest
« Reply #1 on: December 29, 2019, 12:38:01 PM »
And just how do you know his works well?  I bet he still ventures into a grocery store?  My goal for the past 30 years has been to live off the land.  Grocery store visits are still a regular thing......

nj_m715

Re: Food Forest
« Reply #2 on: December 29, 2019, 01:03:28 PM »
I took a pdc a few yrs ago. I have the design manual and the entire course on dvd if you want to borrow them
there's also an entire pdc with bill and geoff from the 80's or 90's floating around the web and a NC college has one too. it has good info but the teacher is a little bit hippie

ProGeek

Re: Food Forest
« Reply #3 on: December 29, 2019, 01:16:59 PM »
And just how do you know his works well?  I bet he still ventures into a grocery store?

He does go to the store. You can't grow everything you may want in the South. Things like grains are not grown in the permaculture way. The point is to use swales to trap water and companion plants and herbs to attract good insects, repel bad ones, and repel animals.
If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.

ProGeek

Re: Food Forest
« Reply #4 on: January 01, 2020, 09:26:53 AM »
have the design manual and the entire course on dvd if you want to borrow them
 
Do they have anything specific to the South or just general info?

The problems are that I don't see anywhere that says "in the South", plant these plants in these locations (position in the circle related to the sun) around the central tree so they get the right amount of sun. Also, each guild is this far across.
If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.

RWS

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Re: Food Forest
« Reply #5 on: January 01, 2020, 11:56:32 AM »
Maybe there will be a class I can take while at "Prepper Camp".   I am told there is a class for everything under the sun.

ProGeek

Re: Food Forest
« Reply #6 on: January 06, 2020, 05:10:43 PM »
I went to Rick Austin's talk at prepper camp and bought his book, Secret Garden of Survival book. I've heard about a forum for the book somewhere, but I haven't found it yet.
If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.

John Galt 1

Re: Food Forest
« Reply #7 on: February 20, 2020, 02:57:59 PM »
As far young trees and deer you'll need to put some 4' high fencing in a circle around the trees for a few years or the deer will eat them during the fall and winter.      I use two T-posts to hold the fencing in place.
Talk is cheap, Actions count.

ProGeek

Re: Food Forest
« Reply #8 on: February 20, 2020, 03:08:58 PM »
I used 5ft weld wire and four 6.5ft tposts. My problem was that my own goats got in and started eating the trees before I got to that. Lost one 5ft cherry tree and two apples damaged. Blueberries look to be coming back.
If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.

YellowRose

Re: Food Forest
« Reply #9 on: February 24, 2020, 09:35:06 AM »
I liked Secret Garden of Survival, and I just finished Gaia's Garden, one of the permaculture standards.  It is a bit overwhelming, but I am also deciding I don't have to do it 100% off the bat.  Adding some insect attractors and nitrogen fixers around trees will be a big improvement.  And upgrading my annual bed to a perennial food crop will help with my constant weed problems.  I have realize that I have sort of been following a limited permaculture method without realizing it, having let a good bit of my garden be take over by a few perennial ground covers, just because it meant less I have to weed.  Some tweaks to that plan should produce better output, even if it may not count as full 'permaculture' to purists.  One step at a time.

RWS

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Re: Food Forest
« Reply #10 on: August 14, 2020, 05:33:58 PM »
Last Winter I planted a few strawberry plants in an herb garden I wa trying to start.  I ran out of room and planted the last plant in a flower pot.  Well, all the strawberries in the herb garden were eaten by deer.  3 times.  A few days ago I noticed the strawberry plant in the flower pot was putting on runners.  So I potted it up while still attached to the mother plant.  There are several other runners forming.  I will need to find some more pots.  Come December I can cut hem loose and plant them where I want them for next year's crop.

John Galt 1

Re: Food Forest
« Reply #11 on: August 15, 2020, 11:17:54 PM »
I also saw Rick Austin's Secret Garden presentation at Prepper Camp.      Very interesting idea, especially planting thorny plants to limit access to the property.       But it takes a lot of time and work, especially if you're planting on Georgia clay and dealing with GA weeds and GA dry summers; this summer is an exception.

We used to keep a good sized garden but now days a few vegetables in large pots is about what we can handle.       But in an emergency (plenty of time with no work) we can always restart the old garden.
Talk is cheap, Actions count.

 

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