APPLE TREE GUILD
Now that you understand the main principles of
a permaculture guild, let’s look at how to create a
guild around an apple tree. The apple tree serves
as the guild’s central element, providing food to
humans. You could substitute it with any fruit or
nut tree. The tree should be pruned into an open
shape so light can reach the understory below.
We’ll plant daffodils around the drip line of the
tree. They contain a toxin that repels animals
like deer and gophers, and their bulbs will
suppress the growth of grass underneath the
tree. We could also add garlic and chives as
added protection against pests.
Inside the ring of daffodils, we’ll interplant
comfrey and artichokes. Their leaves supply
nutrient-rich mulch, while providing the gardener
with food and medicine. Comfrey’s flowers will
also attract pollinators.
Dotted among the comfrey and artichoke,
we’ll add yarrow, nasturtiums, dill, and fennel.
We’ll even allow plants normally considered
weeds, like dandelion and plantain, to grow.
The dandelion, yarrow, and plantain act as
our nutrient accumulators. The nasturtiums
will serve as mulch and pest repellent. The
dill and fennel will attract beneficial insects.
The nasturtiums, dill, fennel, dandelion, and
plantain are all edible, while the yarrow,
dandelion, and plantain can be used
medicinally. To fill in the rest of the gaps, we’ll
grow clover and fava beans as ground covers.
These are our nitrogen fixers, and the clover can
also be chopped and used as mulch.
As you can see, each plant serves multiple
functions, and benefits the entire ecosystem.
Health and yield will be greater than if any one
of these plants were grown alone.
Now that you have a basic understanding of
these guidelines and principles, you can start to
create guilds at home and turn your vegetable
garden into your very own food forest.
Maximum Yield
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