Hi all!
I planted 20 bare root fruit trees this past Spring, but this was before being introduced to permaculture. I made some mistakes, and i'm hoping to get some insight from those more knowledgable than myself on how I should proceed.
To summarize:
I planted 4 separate varieties; Gala, Mcintosh, Mt Royal Plum, and Resilience Peach on semi dwarf rootstock (5 of each variety). My first concern is that I planted Gala before learning that they are not recommend in my area due to disease. Next, I planted them in 4 rows with each variety having its own row. Fortunately, I left around 25 ft between each tree so I have the space to interplant. The lot is approximately one acre of open land and I plan to purchase more trees in the spring along with chickens and bees. This week I'm planning to sheet mulch. I planned to only sheet mulch the rows of trees about 48" wide and leave an alley to run chicken tractors and grow some green manure in between. However, I'm unsure this will be feasible long term if I want to get control over the weeds.
Questions I have
1. What should I do with the Galas? I'm concerned they will end up being susceptible to disease and put other plants at risk.
2. Could I sheet mulch in 48" rows with alleys in between or is this not practical?
I plan to heavy seed with a cover crop mix in the spring and will begin to plant between the trees to help suppress the weeds. I also have a list of disease resistant apples, cherries, and plums that I hope to add. Additionally, chickens for eggs and to build up a compost system. I really appreciate your advice!
Johny
