Pancakery Ver. 7.256

Food forest update.  Almost everything is alive and well.  After marking the tree spots in the yard with stones, I wanted to add in some more shrub/tree plants like hardy kiwis and an apricot.  My total order list ended up at 24 woody perennials.   You can see most of them all in the garden plan.



And the first of three packages :)  



The trees were put into the ground the first week of may.  Next year I am hoping to plant the third week of May instead.  A cold snap a week after planting killed two of the three Pawpaws and defoliated the bush cherry.  The bush cherry came back with a vengeance thankfully.  The Asian pear had it's root mass snapped off from the stem 80%, I tried to tape and plant it, but the tree never survived.  The Sour cherry and one female Kiwi (not on map) had their leaves wilt and die last week.  The total death toll so far is 5.  Not too bad for my first try at bare root plantings.  

Pear break . . . . .




Bush Cherry regrown like a champ!



I have learned the importance of shade for young pawpaws just fast enough to not kill the remaining one.  The tiny leaves were yellowing and drooping.  So I took two pallets and made a shade lean to around the sapling.  The south facing pallet has the wood slats oriented vertically so the sun can shine onto the tree evenly over the day.  And the western facing pallet is oriented horizontally to take the sting out of the harsh late afternoon sun.    



Now the leaves are big and green and happy.  I let them out in the "full sun" today since its very overcast and diffused light.  Ill put the pallet lean to back after sunset.  





 The medlar tree has really taken off.  It was the first to leaf out and has grown a nice bouquet of soft green leaves.  It is a little island in a lawn patch, but the forest garden cover crops and mulching will slowly creep over the lawn and engulf the medlar tree.




 The mulberry tree is looking like it will have six main branches to be coppiced.  I will use wire to train the branches into a even spread this winter.  Around the mulberry I have a mint patch next to a comfrey patch planted.  The mulberry being in the center of the food forest, I want the best and most tenacious cover crops to help keep the weeding down while growing copious mulch and tasty herbs.  Along with the black locusts this central area will be a slowly beating metronome of coppice




While the mulberry is young and small, I am having fun planting lettuce transplants and Daikon radish seeds.  As well as some tomato volunteers transplanted from the raised beds.  I made a big lettuce heart (insert sappy music riff)  






    I am more attached and in love with this forest garden than I thought would be possible.  I find myself sitting and walking around it it awestruck everyday.   The little chunks of lawn that I am planting are starting to add up to a lot of area.   Ill end with a big family photo shot of the whole planting from the convenient 2nd story window in the house.  








Thanks for reading permies!

PawPaw update . . . . .

    It seems like every time I look at the pawpaw, it is bigger.  Even with its growth, the light sensitivity is high.  The pallets let some sun on a bit of the top leaves and it bleached them with a straight line from the pallet shadow.  Looking back this plantie has come a long way.


   From its first leaves and shade pallets late May,







    Then in mid June,







   And today :)  ,

   






   Thanks for reading Permies!!!

Hi Permies, happy July!  The veggie garden is starting to kick into high gear lately.  The lettuce bed is still producing abundantly despite slugs and snails being prevalent over the whole garden area.  There is always a little leaf damage, but it never is so bad I wouldn't eat it.  I have already eaten more from just this one lettuce patch so far than all the greens last year. 



And a fun slugs eye view :)




     The two all star beds this year have a healthy mix of greens, squashes, and tomatoes.  Both these beds were planted with starts, not direct seeded, except for the tomatoes, they were volunteers.  The mix of vining squash with taller tomatoes and greens gives a wonderfully picturesque image of a veggie polyculture.  








The onion and lettuce bed has been transitioning to an onion and cherry tomato bed.  There is an army of volunteers coming up fast from last year.  I am happy enough to let them grow, with a little thinning.  The lettuce is hanging on in the shade under it all.  Nice big leaves for sandwiches :)



The other beds are still a mix of peas and direct sown greens.  Along with the kale and spinach, a layer of clover grew.  With the intense competition it has dwarfed all the plants, essentially giving me a long term source of baby kale and spinach for fresh raw eating.  The clover is a nice bonus in flavor and vitamins. 







Overall everything is going much better than I had hoped for this year.  The garden has been providing food, entertainment, and therapy.  I'll leave you all with a portrait photo of a couple garden residents. 








Thanks for reading Permies!