For those whose successfully made a "low-maintenance" food forest...

I'm writing a comic where the main character stays with a couple that has established a good food forest.  

Although I'm studying permaculture, I'm currently a city boy and my only experience with this stuff is making a compost bin, barely keeping a plant alive and breaking my brain reading Mollison's Permaculture book.

For those who have made anything remotely close to the YouTube level of "low maintenance" food forest.  What would you say your chores are during the summer months.

What would you have a kid of around 10 do around the area to help out?

I appreciate any insight that can help me make the story more believable. :3

The honest answer is that the first 3-5 years are nothing like the YouTube version. Lots of mulching, watering during dry spells, dealing with weeds that outcompete young plants, and replacing things that did not make it. Once it gets established it does genuinely start to look after itself more, but the early years are real work.

Joao Winckler wrote:The honest answer is that the first 3-5 years are nothing like the YouTube version. Lots of mulching, watering during dry spells, dealing with weeds that outcompete young plants, and replacing things that did not make it. Once it gets established it does genuinely start to look after itself more, but the early years are real work.

I figured so.

But these characters would probably be in a place during its established phase as kids.

Whereas later on would be more about the process of these guys doing it themselves when they become adults and seeing how hard it is.

But during the successful phase, would you say there are small levels of maintenance and such that you've experienced?

I don't know anything about Youtube level of "low maintenance" food forest.

I have not grown a food forest though if I were to do a Youtube level of "low maintenance" food forest I would plant all perennials the first year.

Perennials are almost as low maintenance as folks can get.

Lastly I would plant some favorite annuals to make a salad, a pot of beans, etc.

I don't have a true food forest, just random edibles stuck around in my landscape.  Some truly are as low maintenance as advertised.  Figs and asparagus and sorrel and perennial herbs all take care of themselves once established with just some extra water and fertilizer.  They're great!  The black raspberries are pretty good but really want to take over. So get ready to prune and dig.

But then there are the "other" established perennials in my yard.  We're talking a constant struggle.

It's too hot and dry every summer for strawberries so I start losing them.  It doesn't seem to matter how much water I add.  The apples, even the crabapples fill up with worms... So I'm going to have to start spraying them with kaloin clay or something...  The opposite of low maintenance.  Same with the peaches... Also add on the fact that the squirrels got every single one of them this year.  *shakes a virtual fist*

Probably to be truly low maintenance I'd need to get a terrier and some chickens... but I live in town.  Bleh...

I’ve had the best luck maintaining my “forest” by grazing under my fruit trees with various ruminants over the years.  Just had to protect the trees with hot wire.

I am 10 years in establishing a low maintenance food forest garden. If it can be useful, I can send you a copy of my field guide. It documents it pretty well.
I have also made comical versions of my experiences, from the field guide.
Send me a pm or an email and I can send you a copy, or we can talk on zoom.

Harvesting is a big one. Picking ripe fruits from trees, picking annual vegetables like the usual tomatoes and cucumbers. Going out at night and picking slugs off the brassicas or placing beer traps. Spreading wood chips around the base of trees. Watering with compost tea, gathering weeds for said tea. Chop and drop weeds. Gathering eggs, clean coop, feed chickens, water chickens. Spread soiled chicken bedding amongst perennials. Water annuals if needed. If you have other animals there’s allot to do there. Trim overgrowth if needed. A ten year old can do all of these things.