Ark Valley Permaculture

Perennial veggies that work here: (Salida , CO, 7,000 FT. arid)

2011-09-06T05:27:00.000-07:00

Asparagus, Rhubarb, walking onions, lovage, horseradish, Jeruselem artichokes, nettles (cooked of course), safir celery, salad burnet, sorrel, prickly-pear cactus, dandelion (I know everyone hates these), purslane, good king henry, chickweed, balsamroot, perennial sunflowers, jerusalem artichoke

Trying: turkish rocket, groundnut, ramps, welsh onion, skirret,

Other useful perennial things :

Seasonings: French tarragon, chives, garlic chives, oregano, marjoram, thymes, sage, costmary, parsley (bi-annual)

Teas: lemon balm, mints, chamomile, fennel

Reseeders (if you let them): lettuces, arugula, carrots, parsnips, peas, cilantro, orach, dill, borage (flowers tasty), lamb’s quarters. Strawberry spinach

Berries and fruits: goji, raspberry, gooseberry, strawberries (alpine), nanking cherry, serviceberry (alnifolia,sp?), chokecherry, Netleaf Hackberry, currants,

Nuts: hazelnuts, burgambel oak (a cross that bears yearly),

Medicinals: red clover, valerian, self heal, Echinacea, comfrey, dandelion, hops, lavendar, lemon balm, hyssop, horehound, feverfew, calendula (reseeder), bee balm (reseeder), mullein (reseeder), plantain, rue

Good starting point with this combo: Turkish rocket, garlic chives good king henry, white clover

Resources:

Burgamble oak http://www.nuttrees.com

Netleaf hackberry http://www.forestfarm.com/product.php?id=5797

Turkish rocket:

http://www.eagleridgeseeds.com/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&category_id=26&flypage=flypage.tpl&manufacturer_id=1&page=shop.product_details&product_id=19&Itemid=3&vmcchk=1&Itemid=3

Sorrel, good king henry, orach, purslane, lamb’s quarters, strawberry spinach, chickweed, nettles: http://www.bountifulgardens.org

Nutty Groundnut, Jerusalem Artichoke, ramps, welsh onion, Balsamroot and much more: http://oikostreecrops.com

2011-01-16T15:23:00.001-08:00

Ark Valley Permaculture

2011 Potlucks with a Purpose

Come Mingle and Learn

Feb 2: 5:30PM Permaculture Ethics and Principles

Discussing the design basics of Pc and how to use them

Mar 2: 5:30PM Permaculture Tips for the Garden

Things to do to create a good ecological system in your garden

Mar 26: 9AM-5PM "Tooley's Fruit Tree Essentials"

This is an all day workshop with Gordon Tooley, premier

high altitude, heirloom fruit tree grower.A morning

session of an overview of orcharding and a grafting demo.

The afternoon will be some actual pruning on old and young trees.

Bare root trees can be ordered ahead of time. Grafting rootstock

will also be available for those who want to grow some more of

those great old fruit trees in town. Cost $75. More info soon.

May 11: 4:30PM Sheet Mulching

Get down and dirty discussing the soil. Needed: 2 yards as

Worksites. Volunteers? You must commit to gathering all the

sheet mulching materials!! Let us know who you are so we can plan.

June 8: 4:30PM Solar Dehydrator

Building your own to dry your fruits and veggies. This

will be “a put your own dehydrator together” party. Further info

will be available as we get closer to the date

Our format for these get-togethers will be:

Teaching 30-45 minutes, discussion 15 minutes and

work if scheduled, then the eating, drinking and

merriment - as long as we want

Place: Mostly at 9020 CR 150A, Smeltertown, (Merry’s house)

Want more info??? Contact:arkvalleypermaculture@gmail.com

Or phone Merry 539-1198 Denise 539-2906

Care for the Earth Care for the People Fair Share

Edible Forest Gardens

2009-07-25T17:51:00.000-07:00

Edible forest landscapes are life filled places that not only provide food for humans, they are habitats for wildlife, carbon sequestering, biodiversity, natural soil building gardens of fruit and nuts, perennial and annual veggies and flowers. These many-layered gardens are beautiful, resilient and self-renewing. With the emphasis on the whole system as an interrelated organism, interconnectedness is the key to a healthy, dynamic garden. Let nature be the model we use to design landscape.

The edible food forest vision is to maintain the benefits of a natural ecosystem while increasing the amount of food produced aiming towards sustainability, productivity and low maintenance. To contribute to the stability, self-fertilizing and self-renewing nature of food forests, biodiversity is essential to the strength, resilience and longevity of the system. The careful inclusion of plants that increase fertility such as nitrogen fixers and the use of dynamic accumulators (deep rooting plants which tap mineral sources deep in the sub-soil and raise them up to the topsoil where they can become available to the other plants) contribute to this sustainability. Using plants specifically chosen to attract predators of common pests and to provide bee forage increases the stability of the food forest. Chose pest and disease resistant plant varieties. Tree canopy cover and leaf litter improve drought resistance and add to the nutrient cycling. Creating habitat nooks adds more dimensions to the food forest maintenance crew. The greater the diversity, the healthier the foundation and the less competition for resources.

The architectural structure of a food forest uses the primary aspects of different niches, the life strategies of plants and how they partition resources above and below ground. Aiming for the most beneficial stacking of plants, use of canopy trees, small trees and large shrubs, shrubs, herbaceous perennials, ground covers, climbers and vines and the root zone facilitates the best use of space. Each of these layers contributes to the multiple species interaction, forming the food web that regulate and distributes energy and nutrients. Each species express inherent characteristics and form the basis of all interaction between itself and surrounding species. Resource sharing and mutual support stabilizes and binds community together.

The big trick is habitat mimicry. No one takes care of your favorite place in nature!

Perennials are the place to start. Chose a central element (fruit tree) and build a network of mutual support plants around it. Within this layering network of plants choose those which fix nitrogen, suppress weeds, accumulate minerals, attract insects and birds, attract predatory insects, mulch plants, repel pests, plus those that act as fortress plants and habitat plants.

Mimicking nature on the home level can transform landscape to sustain and feed humans for a long-term biologically sustainable system that once established needs little work to maintain. Plants acting in mutual support can withstand extremes and the onslaughts better that isolated species.

The major drawback is the planting and establishment requires large numbers of plants and alot of work. (Plant the trees and shrubs, and then start the understory from seed.)

For a full list of plants and plant groupings and resources for a Salida Food Forest See the charts and articles on this site.

J. Benyus on Nature

2009-07-25T17:49:00.000-07:00

Nature is and extraordinary designer.

Nature runs on sunlight,

Nature uses only the energy it needs.

Nature fits form to Function.

Nature recycles everything.

Nature rewards cooperation.

Nature banks on diversity.

Nature curbs excesses from within.

Nature taps the power of limits.

J. Benyus

Guidelines for a food forest

2009-07-25T17:38:00.000-07:00

A food forest provides its own fertilization, weed suppression, pest control and habitat for more than humans. Each organism is tied to many others. Connectedness is key in a healthy ecosystem. Multifunctional is necessary.

Guidelines:

Gardens are dynamic systems, ever growing and changing.

Self-renewal is key to self-maintaining.

Perennials start the process. They renew themselves plus recycle and capture nutrients.

The more diverse the system is, the healthier the foundation and less competition for resources.

Basic need of a guild: (groups of species that create networks of mutual support)

A central element (fruit tree)

Nitrogen fixers

Insect and bird attracting plants

Mulch plants

Nutrient accumulators

Pest repellents

Habitat nooks

Plants acting in mutual support can withstand extremes and onslaughts better than an isolated species.

To Start:

Find out the mature size & shape of the trees you want (width x height)

Never plant canopy trees closer than their maximum potential width allows

A gap between trees (at maximum width) of ¼-½ of the tree canopy width,

will allow significant light through to the lower layer.

Just 1-2 hours sun per day in summer can double the energy they get

In general, put largest canopy trees at north end/side of site,

smallest ones at south end/side

Incorporate any aesthetic objectives.

Stacking of plants: canopy trees, small trees and large shrubs, shrubs, herbaceous perennials, ground covers, climbers and vines, roots zone

The tables below (in other posts) will give you the idea of what is possible in Salida, Colorado, elevation 7,000 ft.

Low Tree Layer

2009-07-25T17:37:00.000-07:00

Common Name	Comments	Nitrogen fixer	Dynamic accumulatorPlants	BeneficialInsectory Plants	Predatory insectoryPlants	Mulch Plants	Pest Repellent Plants	Habitat Plants	FortressPlants
Apple Ripston	Eating ,cooking, cider, fair storage							•
Apple Hawkeye	great flavor							•
Apple Sweet 16	eating, storing, pie,drying							•
Apple Wealthy	eating, storing into Dec.							•
Apple Blue Pearmain	eating, Storing							•
Apple Canadian Strawberry	eating, keeps one month							•
Cherry mesabi	tart, pie
Cherry meteor	tart, pie
Plum Castleton	good producer
Plum Greengage	Self fertile
Plum Superior	Bears early Good pollenizer
Peach	Reliance			•
Apricot	Manchurian
Pear Summercrisp	eating, storage
Pear Luscious	dessert pear
Apple Black Oxford	deep purple w/ black blush, eating, cooking, drying, great cider
Wild apple stock	heritage seed
Plum Gracious	yellow-orange, mottled redskin,good eating, sauces, jams
wild apricot	started from NM seed delicious
apricot M604	excellent home preserving

Shrub Layer

2009-07-25T17:35:00.000-07:00

Common Name	Comments	Nitrogen fixer	Dynamic accumulatorPlants	BeneficialInsectory Plants	Predatory insectoryPlants	Mulch Plants	Pest Repellent Plants	Habitat Plants	FortressPlants
currants	edible berries			•				•
gooseberries	edible berries			•				•
nanking cherry	edible berries			•				•
elderberry	how about some wine?medicinal			•				•
silver buffaloberry		•						•
chokecherry	edible, great jelly			•				•
native plum	edible			•				•
sumac								•	•
raspberry	edible berries
serviceberry shadlow, juneberry	edible berries			•				•
siberian pea bush	peas good chicken food	•		•				•	•
sea buckthorn	chicken food, berry slight lemony flavor	•						•	•

Herbaceous Perennials

2009-07-25T17:33:00.000-07:00

Common Name	Comments	Nitrogen fixer	Dynamic accumulatorPlants	BeneficialInsectory Plants	Predatory insectoryPlants	Mulch Plants	Pest Repellent Plants	Habitat Plants	FortressPlants
Alfalfa		•	•					•
Alyssum
Asparagus	edible	•	•	•			•
Carrots	edible			•
Chamomile	edible, medicinals, tea		•	•
Chives	edoble,		•	•
Cilantro	edible, reseeds voraciously			•
Clematis	beautiful, vining
Clover	great bee plant	•		•
Comfrey	medicinal, edible sweet flowers		•	•		•		•
Cowpeas	cover crop	•				•		•
Coneflower	medicinal			•
Coreopsis				•
Cosmos				•
Daikon radish			•
Daffodil	grass supressor
Daisy	lots of kinds			•
Daylilies	edible roots, medicinal							•
Delphinium	beauty
Dill	herb			•
Fennel	culinary, tea, medicinal		•	•				•
Feverfew	balsamic herb
gaillardia	beauty
garlic	culinary			•
garlic chives	culinary			•
goji berry	delicious berries, fresh and dried
good king henry	perennial green
grapes	vino, eating, shade provider			•				•
hops	beer
horseradish	medicinal, edible greens
hyssop	tea, medicinal			•
iris	beauty							•
Jacob’s ladder	beauty
Lemon balm	culinary, tea, medicinal		π	•
Lovage	greens, medicinal, culinary			•				•
Lupine	beautiful	•	•					•
Marigold							•
Mexican Hat	beauty
Milkweed				•				•
Mullein			•	•
Nasturtiums	sweet nectar			•				•
Oats	cover crop
Onions egyptian walking	greens, culinary, edible root			•
Peas field	cover crop	•
Penstemen	beauty
Phlox	beauty			•
Poppies lots of kinds	beauty			•
Rhubarb	edible stalk
Russian Sage	beauty			•
Rye	cover crop
Sage culinary	culinary
Salvia May Night	beauty
Shasta Daisy	beauty
Skirret	root veggie			•				•
Sorrel French	edible. medicinal		•
Sunflowers Maximillian, annuals	beauty, edible roots and seeds			•				•	•
Thymes, German, English	culinary, tea, medicinal	•
Tarragon, French	culinary, medicinal			•				•
Vinca	beauty
Vetch, hairy				•				•
Yarrow, Millefolium, wild	medicinal		•	•
Orach	spinach like greens, but is red. Reseeds
Borage			•

Ground Cover Layer

2009-07-25T17:28:00.000-07:00

Common Name	Comments	Nitrogen fixer	Dynamic accumulatorPlants	BeneficialInsectory Plants	Predatory insectoryPlants	Mulch Plants	Pest Repellent Plants	Habitat Plants	FortressPlants
clover	edible leaves	•
thyme	culinary, medicinal			•
trailing bellflower	beauty
strawberry, alpine	edible berry
trefoil		•
english daisy		•
clumping chives	edible,		•	•
coreopsis
daylilies	edible roots							•
comfrey	edible flowers, medicinal
iris	beauty
yarrow			•	•				•
lemon balm	culinary, medicinal		•	•
tarragon	culinary			•				•
vinca	beauty
may night salvia	beauty			•
sorrel, french	medicinal		•
lupine	beauty	•	•	•
nasturtuim	annual					•	•
sage, culinary				•				•
buckwheat	annual, reseeds cover crop	•
oats	annual, reseeds cover crop
field peas	annual, reseeds cover crop
hairy vetch	annual, reseeds cover crop
rye	annual, reseeds cover crop, but cut before it does