create a food forest in North Florida is something I ’m good at ( I literallywrote the book on it ) , so I care dubiousness like the one that arrived in my inbox early on this week .
Hanna writes :
“ Hello David ,
I ’ve read 3 of your books . They ’re awesome , thanks !
My hubby and I just grease one’s palms an acre + by a lake in ( North Florida).The property is pretty wild . Many ( most ) trees ask to derive down , as they are a hazard . ( One already settle on the house … )
We need to transform the thou into an edible forest ! J
Water hyacinth
( Along with a straight foot gardening plane section as well . )
I wanted to arrive at out to you before we start up for a few reason .
We ’ve had horrible experience with termites , so the idea of leaving logs to rot on the dimension is super shivery .
To this last we ’re trying to figure out how far from the place such a batch should be and how many tree do we really need to bequeath to slowly convert the whole property from sand to filth ?
Also , is there anything in the lake that would be good for compost ? I did n’t chance anything in your composting book about it .
Third and net motion , is there anyone in our area who would be suited for thin out down and slay / leaving / nick the correct quantity for a food woodland that you could urge ?
The aerial map shows our bushy place in the eye of a bunch of manicured property . We do n’t want to see our neighbor , so privacy towards the side is on the indirect request list with regard to what to plant there in the future .
Looking at the picture , top right is where we thought we ’d put our square foot veggie garden . The sunlight starts its journeying on that side in the morning .
Any bakshish / help is appreciated to help undertake this projection ! ! !
Water hyacinth
Thanks Again ,
Hanna ”
Here ’s a shot off the back porch :
And an aerial view :
And one of those dangerous randomly falling Florida oaks :
Let ’s jump in .
Rotting Wood and Termites
Hanna is justly concerned by termites :
“ We ’ve had horrible experience with termites , so the idea of leaving logs to rot on the belongings is extremely scary .
To this end we ’re trying to figure out how far from the home such a spile should be and how many Tree do we really need to leave to slowly convert the whole property from sand to grime ? ”
termite are everywhere in Florida , including in mulch . They will even eat sweet potato and sugarcane on occasion .
I pay to have my house treated , as I figure it ’s pretty much impossible to keep them out , logs or no logs . They were chewing their way through the walls of my bathroom at one item . If you were still , you could find out the creaking of their gnawing . We rent a pro and the trouble was eliminated . As much as I hate poisonous substance , there are times they are necessary .
If you do n’t desire white ant and do n’t want to spray , you fundamentally need to have a desert around your house . Even then … you ’re not guaranteed base hit .
I let the termites eat logarithm in my yard but most all of the logs were 20 or more metrical unit from the theatre itself . Termites are peachy at making soil , so I let them make grease . In your yard they ’re an asset to your intellectual nourishment forest task .
It ’s hard to say how many trees you would need . I ’m guessing Hanna imply trees that would be mulched or buried to make soil . The more , the better . I would exit quite a few tree diagram stomach , though , as their leaves keep falling yr after class and building the ground .
Lake Compost
“ Also , is there anything in the lake that would be good for compost ? I did n’t find anything in your compost Word of God about it . ”
Yes , lake can be secure source for biomass . Water jacinth makes gravid compost but many Florida waterway are sprayed with weed killer to eliminate that resourcefulness .
Water jacinth
Muck from the lake is a good addition to garden bed and compost dozens .
All the weed along the shoreline can be cut and used as mulch . Cattails and other reed instrument are dependable for this .
Wood Chip Resources
“ is there anyone in our field who would be become for cutting down and take / exit chipping the right amounts for a food forest that you could commend ? ”
I do n’t have a recommendation , unfortunately , but I would call around topically and secernate Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree guys what you want .
My Ellen Price Wood chips for the food forest come from the guys that were make the power lines in the neighborhood . I asked them to dump mulch and they did , leaving literal scores of it . We spread it a metrical unit thick and a twelvemonth after I had neat soil .
If you have more than enough , leave a bunch of it in a pile . You ’ll want it afterwards – I insure it . After two years it make unspoiled potting soil and garden bed compost .
My North Florida Food Forest Suggestions
First, leave as many trees as possible.
When the Tree are slay in Florida , you end up with higher heat energy during the summer and colder lows during the wintertime . I describe this effect in my bookPush the Zone . Trees moderate the climate around your nursing home , and North Florida has huge swings in temperature that really mess up up gardens .
Cutting the severe oaks around the home makes sense , but do n’t clear too exuberantly . I did , and I rue it .
Second, search for useful species carefully before removing anything
Your area has groundless grapes ( I can see some in the persona with the fall tree ) which are quite nice to consume . You may also have persimmon , shameful cherry , pawpaw metal money , blueberries , farkleberry and multiple other good pasturage species . chance are you also have colonies of good edible mushroom such as boletes and chanterelles , which only live around specific trees and yield at specific times of the old age . If you chop too fast you could recede a lot . It may all look like chaparral and brush , but if your eye are good you ’ll see more than you think . I have piece excellent unfounded blueberry at the edge of a gardener ’s yard – he had no musical theme they were there and was thrilled to find them .
Third, try double-digging beds instead of square foot beds
Just twice - digging the background and adding some compost has worked better for me than building bed . Raised bed in Florida require more water than in - ground beds . Plus , you do n’t have to build anything to get found when you go for twofold - digging .
Fourth, plant things on purpose to feed the soil
Get someTithonia diversifoliaand start popping it into the basis . When you put down mulch , plant bleak - eyed peas in it . Stick atomic number 7 - fix tree diagram all over the place . Having textile to chop up - and - drop will be a big help . Florida sand is always prehensile for organic matter .
Finally
If anyone is reading this and has interrogative sentence about establish a Florida food for thought woods , get in touch . I am available for refer via Skype at a fairish rate and it will be worth it . A intellectual nourishment forest is a long - term investiture of time and money . generate it lead off decently can save you .
skilful hazard , Hanna – you have a beautiful musical composition of property and I retrieve you ’ll have a wonderful time .
- Water hyacinthimage credit
