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Permsteading.com • View topic - Collins Kids Food Forest - Phase 1

Collins Kids Food Forest - Phase 1

Grow some food and stuff!

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Collins Kids Food Forest - Phase 1

Postby Arborsmarty » Wed Oct 31, 2012 9:43 am

As an arborist I'm very keen on log mulch!!
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Re: Collins Kids Food Forest - Phase 1

Postby boo » Sun Sep 22, 2013 3:45 am

Bumping this topic up.
I'd love to hear what's happening in the Collins Kids Food Forest since May 2012....
George, I've been devouring the details of what you've done in your food forest so far....(I've just re-read our PDC timetable and sadly we aren't going to be covering food forests in our course :cry: but there is a heap of info in this thread alone to get me started on my way).
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Re: Collins Kids Food Forest - Phase 1

Postby George Collins » Sun Oct 13, 2013 4:08 pm

I've been meaning to give an update for awhile but every time I sit down to do so, something comes up. Now I have a few minutes, here tis:

The canopy layer is probably 80-90% intact. Plums are proving to be difficult to grow in the garden which is strange because we have plenty of plums growing in multiethnic locations between my hog-food forest and Youngblood's yard. I will likely replace those plums that didn't make it with some apples of pears next year.

The low tree layer has survived almost completely intact. The goumis and Russian olives are ripping. The Siberian pea shrubs are struggling but they were intended to be sacrificial specimens anyway so no big loss there. My native plums are all doing well although growing more slowly than I anticipated. I lost a few figs but I planted enough to compensate for losses and I have several more growing in pots that I propagated back in the spring.

Several blueberries have made it although they don't look all that good. Beyond those few survivors, the shrub layer and herbaceous layers were decimated. The summer of 2012 will likely be the harshest of my life. When added to the fact that my shipment from Burnt Ridge Nursery (where most of my shrub layer specimens came from) didn't arrive until April, they never really stood a chance. If faced with the same circumstances again, I would have potted every specimen until the flowing spring.

It was this almost total loss though that prompted me to put a hard rule into place - plant absolutely no bare root specimens after February 28th.

Following that rule led to an almost 100% survival rate of those trees planted between Jan 1st and Feb 28th, 2013. (I think only one tree was lost from this group.)

I have every intention of bringing a forest garden to fruition in the fullest expression of that term. Since the canopy layer though is the limiting factor, I made the conscious decision to divert my attention (and money) elsewhere (hog food forest) this past year comfortable in the belief that doing so in no way has negatively affect my long-range vision.
"Solve world hunger, tell no one." "The, the, the . . . The Grinch!"

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Re: Collins Kids Food Forest - Phase 1

Postby DevilsBrew » Mon Oct 14, 2013 12:49 pm

Sorry to hear about the rough year. Gardening has it's ups and downs. There will always be overwhelming success along with disaster. It's all a learning experience. That is the beauty of it. :D
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Re: Collins Kids Food Forest - Phase 1

Postby pa_friendly_guy » Tue Jan 21, 2014 10:00 pm

I see that the cold temps are again dipping south. From the map I am seeing on TV here we are below 0 with wind chills in the -5 to -10*, but your area seemed to be below freezing again for an extended period. Do you expect much die back with the extreme cold we are having, or do you feel that the trees are well enough rooted to make it through? Most of your trees, such as apple, pears etc should be fine I would think, but you plant some southern varieties that don't normally see extended cold snaps. Hope you are making it through with flying colors.
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Re: Collins Kids Food Forest - Phase 1

Postby George Collins » Fri May 16, 2014 10:38 am

An update.

"Solve world hunger, tell no one." "The, the, the . . . The Grinch!"

"If you can't beat them, bite them."
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Re: Collins Kids Food Forest - Phase 1

Postby pa_friendly_guy » Fri May 16, 2014 11:26 am

Fantastic George, that was a Great report. I love your progress. You are proud of your progress, and you tell us about your failures as well. It is my opinion that we learn more from or failures. Keep up the good work.
Never doubt that a small group of dedicated people can change the world, indeed it is the only thing that ever has.
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Re: Collins Kids Food Forest - Phase 1

Postby matt walker » Sat May 17, 2014 3:42 pm

Good stuff man! Thank you so much for posting this update, it is so nice to see how things are progressing for you. Following along with you really reinforces the focus and commitment required to go from grass to forest layers. I've been thinking on this a lot lately, and it's great to see you working through it as well. The log mulch is great! I think it is a huge success, the broken down material around the trees looks a lot like what Geoff Lawton displays as ideal forest floor material in his video about establishing the forest. I think I'm using that technique moving forward from here. Thanks again George, good work man.
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