Guild design video series...

I'm starting to put up some episodes for my youtube channel, ( edibleacres ),  that cover in detail the many polycultures and guilds developing at our research farm.
Episode one covers an apple guild that includes some common characters as well as some additional layers of redundancy and back up plans to provision for potential losses, etc.  Let me know what you think and I'll plan to put up a bunch more as time allows.
Thanks!


www.edibleacres.org to learn more about who we are.

Episode 2 of this project is about honeylocust as a trellis for concord grapes, elderberry and gooseberry as deer deterrent, bi-directional succession planning, and a whole lotta chop and drop elements to make for some serious soil building...  The video is a little long and meandering, I'll plan to tighten things up in the future, but some potentially interesting concepts to check out?

Thank you Sean. More please. I have many young fruit trees and need ideas for appropriate guilds.

Yes, this is a welcome video thread! Many thanks for your sharing.

Yes, nice 2 videos - please do share more..

Sean Dembrosky wrote:I'm starting to put up some episodes for my youtube channel, ( edibleacres ),  that cover in detail the many polycultures and guilds developing at our research farm.
Episode one covers an apple guild that includes some common characters as well as some additional layers of redundancy and back up plans to provision for potential losses, etc.  Let me know what you think and I'll plan to put up a bunch more as time allows.
Thanks!
www.edibleacres.org to learn more about who we are.

Thanks. this really gives me a lot of ideas: I have a number of apple trees and cherry trees but I understand much better the idea of hedging your bets by planting a couple of trees together and following though with their understory. I confusedly sensed that constantly weeding / mulching under the apple trees was just going to exhaust me and the area next to the tree was never going to be clean of weeds anyway! Since I will not be able to keep it "clean", [as in "manicured"], I might as well take a cue from Nature and get more trees/ bushes/ vines planted in that space.[I'll still mulch but it makes sense to have more than one thing growing in that small space].
I think we have been brainwashed into thinking that a garden has to look just so, or that the roots of our trees fear "competition". Yet natures abhors emptiness, and if there is not a plant, nature WILL will the gap. It does make sense when I see a successful guild such as this one that what surrounds the main tree planted is deflecting attention of the deer too. I have rhubarb in great abundance, as well as garlic chives. Since they do not fear the deer, I tossed them out of the garden ... but still I was also trying to keep them weeded in their new location. [bad habits die hard] I will plant rhubarb and garlic chives, other strong smelling herbs near the trees that need protection. Since apple trees flower early, I planted some butterfly weeds and common milkweed next to the trees last year. It has only been one year, so it is too early to tell how well these specific plants will help each other, but at least, past the first cleanup and weeding, I have not weeded around these trees last year [just mulched] and I feel much better about it. I also have peonies that the deer will not touch. Their heady scent might shoo the deer away as well. What do you think? Would tea roses be too much? Thanks for all the good ideas!

I guess to germinate pawpaw, the seeds have to go through a cold period, but keep them above freezing or they won't make it.  

Great to see some vids coming our way.  I enjoy your Youtube channel.

Great to see some vids coming our way.  I enjoy your Youtube channel.

Thanks so much for posting this stuff. We are just at the stage of planting our key trees and were looking for just this kind of stuff. Is there anything out there for cherries or plums?

Robert Baerg wrote:Thanks so much for posting this stuff. We are just at the stage of planting our key trees and were looking for just this kind of stuff. Is there anything out there for cherries or plums?

My sister planted rhubarb and comfrey under the plum guild and they are doing fine in my climate and clay soil.

If you check out youtube.com/user/edibleacres you'll find a whole playlist of them if thats of interest... I'm also happy to drip them into the feed over time...