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Help! Plant list needed desperately!

Posts: 4

Location: Eastern Cape, South Africa

posted 10 years ago

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Hi everyone.
I am rather new to permaculture. I have an 85Ha farm in the Eatern Cape of South Africa and want to start off with a 1Ha permaculture food forest.

My problem is - even though I've got lots of reading material and videos - that I can't seem to find any good sources for plants suitable to thos area.
It is a harsh environment with annual rainfall of 350mm (Oct to March), temperatures range from-15°C in June to 35 in Dec and often high winds of up to 50km/h.

Can somebody please help point me in the right directions?

Thanks

85 Ha farm in South Africa. Temperature ranges from -15°C in June to 35°C in Dec. Annual rainfall = 350mm.

Daniel Kern

Posts: 198

posted 10 years ago

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General info:
http://www.southafrica.info/about/animals/flora.htm#.U6HuIK6Vviw

This one should help a lot:
http://foodplantsinternational.com/

A good list:
http://www.plantzafrica.com/frames/plantsfram.htm

Advanced search:
http://posa.sanbi.org/searchspp.php

may or may not be useful:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Garden_plants_of_Africa

S Bengi

pollinator

Posts: 3827

Location: Massachusetts, Zone:6/7 AHS:4 GDD:3000 Rainfall:48in even Soil:SandyLoam pH6 Flat

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posted 10 years ago

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At -15C that is a zone 7 (5F).

You can grow: Apricot Hazelnut Almond Jujube Autumn Olive Mulberry Grapes Walnut Figs Gooseberries.
The plants above dont mind the winter cold or the summer drought.

With enough water you can grow pretty much anything that can survive a zone 7.
Check out this link for a few common plants that can be found in a zone 7 food forest in USA
https://www.onegreenworld.com

Iterations are fine, we don't have to be perfect
My 2nd Location:Florida HardinessZone:10 AHS:10 GDD:8500 Rainfall:2in/mth winter, 8in/mth summer, Soil:Sand pH8 Flat

Angelika Maier

pollinator

Posts: 1475

Location: Zone 10a, Australia

posted 10 years ago

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Besides permaculture knowledge you need some good books about fruit trees. You need to consider, rain, when it rains, soil, etc.
Olives maybe? Figs?

Medicinal herbs, kitchen herbs, perennial edibles and berries: https://mountainherbs.net/ grown in the Blue Mountains, Australia

Daniel Kern

Posts: 198

posted 10 years ago

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Pfaf.org has a good plant list. in the advanced search you can search by zone, But as this feature is new not all plants are catagorized into a zone quite yet.

Hannes Nel

Posts: 4

Location: Eastern Cape, South Africa

posted 10 years ago

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Thanks guys, I will check out these resources.

Does anyone know of a person(s) who have successfully pulled of a permaculture / foodforest project in similar climate?

85 Ha farm in South Africa. Temperature ranges from -15°C in June to 35°C in Dec. Annual rainfall = 350mm.

Daniel Kern

Posts: 198

posted 10 years ago

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South africa permaculture site

this may help

Sarah Joubert

Posts: 101

Location: More D'Ebre, Tarragona, Spain Mediterranean zone

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posted 9 years ago

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Hi Hannes,
I was interested in your request as my family will be returning to SA next year and are planning a food forest too! Have you had any joy sourcing species? If so, how is your forest looking?

International aid feeds some of the people some of the time, Initiate & support permaculture projects, and communities eat every day.

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Binge on 17 Seasons of Permaculture Design Monkeys!

http://permaculture-design-course.com