you can completely transform your entire yard into a food forest mosaic . But at least start with a simple plan built around good organic fruit tree care with low input .
Starting from Scratch
Start by picking an area that ideally gets at least eight hours of direct sunlight a day . It doesn ’ t matter how challenging the soil is , or what ’ s already growing in or on it . Mark out a square 8 x 8 foot patch — or whatever shape you ’ d like — with flags , sticks , or you can simply eyeball it .
Begin building a healthy growing medium with the easiest soil-building technique on the planet Earth : sheet-mulching . Sheet mulching is basically layering various organic materials on the ground to build up soil , hold moisture , and block out weeds . Some call it lasagna gardening .
You can sheet-mulch your patch at any time of the year . Ideally , the patch is left to decompose for at least one season in advance of planting ( i . e ., in the fall for spring planting , in spring for fall planting ). Leaving it for a full year will yield even better results .
Companion Plants for the Patch
Permaculturists call groups of perennial companions “ guilds .” Guilds are the essence of the food forest design and balance . The idea here is that you are designing and planting to help meet the fruit or nut tree ’ s needs
Select a location in full sun and create an 8 x 8 foot patch . Throw down 2-3 inches of nutrient rich material , like compost , manure , leaves (... yourself !). Then generously cover with overlapping black and white sections of newspaper and / or cardboard . Top it off with 2-3 inches of leaf compost , straw , woodchips , or a compost and planting soil mix .
10 plenty I Spring sowing 2021