Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Asberry Acres Forest Garden - Permaculture Plan Update: Improved Polyculture Guilds

My previous plan didn't properly take into account that my nitrogen fixers (Caragana arborescens, Elaeagnus umbellata) tolerate some shade in the Low Tree layer. The Apios Institute Polyculture wiki has an entry for a fruit tree-gooseberry-pea shrub polyculture. I'm also going to try polycultures centered on each of my nitrogen fixers with Castenea pumilla and some Corylus spp. hybrids. These polycultures also allow me to pack the trees in more densely and encouraged me to use a more interesting layout than simple staggered rows and columns. I've also added a Weeping Willow and a Rose of Sharon hedge around the north and east sides because they're pretty ;-)