ronbre
Cool Member
Posts: 91
Joined: Sun May 16, 2010 7:34 pm
Location: Michigan

just ordered the last of the trees and shrubs for my food fo

Well I just placed 2 orders to order the final plantings for my superguilds for my food forest garden I'm installing in the back. This is in a 40 x 60 area that already has most of the trees and shrubs planted.

Today I went WILD and ordered the following ...
3 mulberries
1 mtn ash
4 goumi
1 buffalo berry
2 paw paw
2 more elderberry (have 4 but fell in love with these pretty variegated ones, one white and one green and yellow)
2 service berry
1 large fruit hawthorn

this superguild is a combination of 2 nut guilds..a walnut and a chestnut guild..as well as apple/pear/cherry guilds

the Walnut guild is on the north and the chestnut guild is on the west with the apple guild next heading east, cherry guild and then the pear guild

pretty much everything besides what is ordered is already planted..most of it babies..right now the main plants are
3 walnuts (black, carpathian and butternut), the mulberries and goumi will go between there and the next layer south, 4 wild plum and 6 hazelnuts forming a hedge to the North (will be backed by the 3 mulberry and 4 goumi)

Then in beds are the 2 chestnut, 3 apples, 3 pears, 2 cherries, one ornamental cherry, dozens of raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, elderberries, (will move in strawberries this year), there is room for the pawpaws and some of the other shrubs in these beds, the mtn ash will go to the east by the pond which is just east of this forest garden.

I have already planted most of the herb layer and perennials but have a few more to bring in, and I have 5 grapevines in this area as well as 4 climbing roses, jerusalem artichokes, asparagus, horseradish,rhubarb, chives and other herbs, mult onions, garlic, lots of other onions, I have my vine crops in and 64 tomato and pepper plants, lots of coles and greens just coming up..lots of umbel plants such as fennel, anise, dill, yarrow,etc..potatoes are in and up..

carrots and beets and others are also in..but haven't put in the corn and beans yet..waiting on the rain

ronbre
Cool Member
Posts: 91
Joined: Sun May 16, 2010 7:34 pm
Location: Michigan

after trying to buy mulberries 3 different times 3 years in a row, my mulberry order (3 trees) arrived today, they are tiny but look healthy and have great roots. I got them planted and watered and mulched and am hoping that they'll be fine.

now I have just one more order of trees and shrubs yet to come, no shipping announcement on those yet..but they MAY be in the mail already.

then I'll have all the plants that I really need for my food forest garden "superguild"..

I still have some divisions to transplant too and of course a lot of other work, but I feel good about getting this much done in just 2 years. !!

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soil
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Posts: 1855
Joined: Thu Jan 22, 2009 8:40 pm
Location: N. California

sounds like awesome start for food forest, I just got a few mulberries the other day. what varieties did you get?

ronbre
Cool Member
Posts: 91
Joined: Sun May 16, 2010 7:34 pm
Location: Michigan

I got red but now after doing some more reading I probably should have gotten black..oh well. I got what I got. They are planted. Now waiting on my last order and getting some divisions and seeds put in..and of course keeping the weeds pulled and getting mulch down. But it feels good to have 99 % of it planted..only a few more to go

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Ozark Lady
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Posts: 1862
Joined: Tue Jan 05, 2010 5:28 pm
Location: NW Arkansas, USA zone 7A elevation 1561 feet

I woke up before the alarm this morning. And I had the curtains back, and window open, so I was just watching the birds as they woke up.

Suddenly, they all started chasing "something". I thought, june bugs? But, they were all doing it. Wait a minute, aren't geese vegetarians? Maybe not? Soon I saw ducks chasing something, chickens were also going crazy and I was fascinated trying to figure out what pests were that plentiful.

Suddenly, I saw it... a mulberry fell off the tree, and before it hit the ground it was snarfed up. :lol: Now, I get it,they are grabbing the mulberries as fast as they fall. And they were really falling. It was hilarious to watch! Even if you don't have poultry of your own, you will have birds enjoying your fruits, and I hope that you can enjoy watching them.

ronbre
Cool Member
Posts: 91
Joined: Sun May 16, 2010 7:34 pm
Location: Michigan

I love birds, and I have a lot of them here all the time. We even have wild turkey, pheasant and quail that come in from the nearby woods and fields.

I'm sure the birds will be enjoying the mulberries, when they get bigger than 8" tall that is..tee hee.

I have a lot of bushes planted just for the birds here, that provide berries .
I have a lot of honeysuckle and barberry and autumn and russian olives, as well as wild and tame brambles with berries and huckleberries, elderberries, snowberries, winterberries, and even vines with berries as well as grapes..

I have lived on this property for 39 years and every year I plant dozens of trees, shrubs and hundreds of perennials and annuals (vegetable and fruit, not many flower annuals but some if I get the seeds)

sometime I wonder if I'll ever have room for all the plants I buy..I'm like a plant-a=holic

ronbre
Cool Member
Posts: 91
Joined: Sun May 16, 2010 7:34 pm
Location: Michigan

well we have had rain now off and on for 4 days, good cause we have had a drought for like forever. Got a note that my order of trees and shrubs will be coming early this week..so I'm all ready to start planting.

have decided to put many of these trees into a fedge (fruiting hedge) along the fence and windbreak on the west side of my food forest superguild garden.

will be fun getting that done.

all of my baby trees are doing okay except a few have had leaf losses from the drought



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