3 Sep 2010
Summer 2010 Food Forest Update and…evolution of an almond tree
This is last Summer 2009. Breaking ground on the front yard FOOD FOREST. The first trees go in: Peach, Almond, Cherry dwarf and semi dwarves will create the backbone to this front yard guild.
Here we are now in Summer 2010..and that's just over a years worth of growth. Can't wait...to watch as this forest thicken up...and produce massive amounts of food!!
***Here’s a few things I’ve done to help the food forest GROW!! As well as a year in pics…as the front yard food forest evolved. I also threw in a few pics from the backyard FOOD FOREST, which has been growing for about a year longer than the front. ***
Every tree..or whatever I'm planting, gets a healthy dose of mixed rock dusts. Pictured here from left to right are: Greensand, Gaia Green Glacial Dust and Azomite
We also use LOCAL ROCK DUST. This is volcanic cinders, from a ancient volcano 20 minutes from our house. This material is amazing...LOVE IT!! So far...we've brought in about...15 truck loads of this stuff. It gets mixed with the garden soil. It's also used as a mulch and path cover.
Close up, of the cinders. It's very pumice like, which aids in drainage. I love the different sized particles...from pebble size...down to dust size.
I also add Mycorrihizal Fungi whenever I plant something. This is Paul Stamet's soluble Mycorrhizae. LOVE this stuff!! Very powerful!
- This is right after last summer’s planting….nice and cozy. Ready for winter. You can see the stakes, and the orange paint on the grass. This was from blue-stakes. In our town, it’s the law, to have the utility lines staked out, before one shovel of dirt is displaced. Glad I did, or I would have planted these guys right on top of a gas line. I was amazed how many utility lines there are..tucked all into one small space. You have to allow a 2 foot setback on each side of the lines. HUGE FINES, if you don’t call and hit a line. I fit them all in juuust fine! Check them out at www.bluestakes.org
- Gave each tree a big ring of compost..and mulched HEAVILY…with straw around every tree. That’s a dormant volcano in the background. This whole neighborhood, sits on a lava bed. In my backyard, about 4 feet down, is PURE LAVA ROCK.
- During the winter months, I worked on digging a nice swale on contour…and then mulched it…with about a 6 inch layer of straw. The raingutter, on this side of the house pours right into…this swale.
- In early spring 2010, came large doses of compost…SPREAD EVERYWHERE. Front yard and back..and in every raised bed. Two full trailer loads. I also spread tons of mixed clover seed.
- Dug one more swale near the sidewalk…to catch and hold extra runoff. Didn’t want ANY water…running down into the street.
- …then came the buds. Here’s almond
..and then... the blossoms!! Almond blossoms have to be one of the most pleasant smells EVER!! This little bee was helping out!!
Here's another one of my garden helpers....they're everywhere around here. In all sizes. Great insect and bad bug control. Who needs sprays??
All in ONE dwarf almond tree
Here come the almonds...this was fun to watch...over the months
When the almonds pop open like this...they're ready to GO!!
Pure JOY...to open and eat your first home grown ALMOND!!!
The creamy white inner flesh.
One of the most interesting events of the season. Hummingbirds hatched and nested on the back porch. You can see the other ones little beak, behind its siblings. I watched them take their first flight too. This is the third year this nest has been occupied by these little guys. I wonder if it's the same birds...returning to nest...their offspring? Very cool either way...they LOVE the honeysuckle!!
My brother Gage, helping install the GROWING DOME. Behind him, you can see the backyard FOOD FOREST, before it got rolling. Just grass, and a few young apple trees.
The backyard FOOD FOREST today, Summer 2010. This is the furthest zone from the front door, in the backyard food forest...called zone 5. We also call it the land of OZ!!!
East side of the house, in Zone 5....that's honey suckle and hardy kiwi to the left...and a volunteer melon on the right, that decided it wanted to climb the support trellis. I have yet to identify the strain. Very cool!
This is in zone 5 (OZ) of the FOOD FOREST, looking back toward zone 4, the DOME ZONE!
Here’s a a video tour of the front and backyard food forest. As well as a tour of the GROWING DOME. Much more to come!! Filmed this a few weeks ago…and it’s already changed quite a bit. I’ll do a FALL UPDATE…in a month or so.
ENJOY the TOUR!
Have FUN…GROWING YOUR OWN FOOD!!
YOU…CAN DO THIS TOO!!
