Matt Faulkner

Thanks for the quick responses. I like the idea of sheet mulching around existing trees and bushes and just digging/planting the new plants where I want them. I'll give that a try this fall or early next Spring if possible and let you know how it goes.

I have a small forest garden in my backyard in Central Indiana. I have peaches, apples, pears and cherries planted (all dwarf or semi-dwarf due to space constraints) and they are all producing. I have a few shrubs (Goumi and Nanking Cherry) but would like to plant more perennial and annual vegetables starting next Spring. The problem is that I have wildflowers and herbs currently occupying the understory of these fruit trees. What are some methods to get rid of the wildflowers and herbs to plant other edible vegetables without digging/tilling and disturbing the soil? I can mow them down at the end of the season and mulch in place, but I'm afraid that they will just come back next year unless I dig or till to plant the new species I would like to grow. If anyone has any experience with this or guidance they can provide, I would appreciate it.

Zach,

Let me know if you need any help on the homestead. I am in Westfield, so only about 45-60 minutes south of you. I am new to Permaculture and live on a small, suburban lot right now, but that hasn't stopped me from working to turn my backyard into a food forest! I have two girls, ages 3 and 5, that love the outdoors and might be of some help to you as well if you need assistance. Anything I can do to get some hands-on experience would be helpful. I am planning to take a PDC in the next couple of years and my family and I have a goal of buying some land in the future so that we can homestead. Let me know if you're interested in some assistance.

-Matt

Hi Bibi! I am also in Zone 5 (Central Indiana) and have a similar property. I was introduced to Permaculture, Food Forests and Edible Landscaping earlier this year and fell in love. I love to garden, especially vegetables, and my two girls (age 2 and 4) love helping and eating the vegetables right out of the garden. While I don't plan to do anything in the front yard (to keep up the typical suburban appearance from the street) except plant some blueberries on the south side of our foundation and some edible greens in the front (mostly spinach since our house faces east and this spot is shaded by the Bradford Pear in our front yard). However, I am currently in the process of turning my backyard into my own private oasis of edible landscaping/food forest. We have a back patio and a good sized oak in the back yard. I planted three fruit trees in late May and will be planting five more this fall. I also plan to plant some perennial vegetables and other guild-member plants next Spring. I've never done much with flowers or herbs, but I built an herb spiral for my wife this summer and we plant to introduce many different types of herbs and flowers next Spring all over the property to introduce beneficial insects and attract other wildlife. We still have some lawn in our backyard for the swingset and some room for the dog, but hopefully my vision will allow my family to enjoy homegrown, organic produce and learn more in the process. I know it will be a few years before anything materializes, but I've already been amazed at how well the fruit trees are growing and they've only been in the ground for two months! I will likely mulch next Spring after planting everything, but I do plan to till up the yard and spread generous amounts of compost this fall. I want to balance the aesthetics of the yard with the time it will take to maintain, so I doubt I will do a full blown forest garden. I will be pruning the trees to keep them at an easily harvestable size (probably no more than 10 feet tall), plus I don't have a whole lot of room, so they will need to be controlled. I will try to take some pictures and upload them for everyone to see, but any advice/help the forum can offer would be appreciated.

Hello from Westfield! I was very happy to see a forum here for those of us that live in Indiana. We have a small suburban property (roughly .20 acres), but I have been informally studying Permaculture Design and Edible Food Forests and I've caught the bug. I've been gardening for several years now and love it. We have about 250 square feet of vegetable garden space, but this year we planted blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and three fruit trees (Stella Cherry; 4n1 Apple and a Peach). This fall we will be tilling up one whole side of our backyard so that I can plant an Almond tree, Plum Tree, Nectarine tree, two Pear trees (Bartlett and Asian) and two grapes around an arbor. I'm contemplating planting a mulberry tree and two sour cherry trees behind our fence as well. Next Spring, I will be planting some perennial vegetables (rhubarb, horseradish and asparagus) as well as all of the other shrubs (Nanking Cherry, Goumi and Currants) to go along with the Comfrey, herbs and wildflowers. I'll probably plant a few more blueberry bushes as well since my two girls love them! I built an herb spiral for my wife this summer and she is really looking forward to using it next spring. I'm very interested in learning more about any PDC courses here in Central Indiana as well as learning from all of you. While I will never give up my vegetable garden, I will be converting it to raised beds this fall and next spring as well as utilizing polyculture/companion planting techniques to hopefully create less work and more enjoyment for my family each year. I'm looking forward to attracting wildlife as well as beneficial insects to keep everything in balance. Please offer up any advice you have as I'm still new to this and I'll try to keep everyone updated on our progress while also uploading pictures as time allows.