Finding a permaculture enthusiast in Southwest Louisiana

I wasn't sure we could grow avacados. They are great for your animals too.

here is the Che http://ediblelandscaping.com/buyPlants.php



Maybe someday we can all build a list of what plants we all have/want and get cutting from one another. This way one person doesn't buy 400 different fruit trees.

I plan to take mimosa and black locust cuttings in the spring and see if I can get a lot of them. They will be my mulchers/ n-fixers and mimosa will be a permanent tree for me.

Fantastic! This is so helpful. I've used Willis for some things and I buy all my veggies and some flower seeds from seedsavers- I love the whole concept of seed savers. Thanks, I guess I'm going to go buy a few cherry trees now.

Jeremiah Temple wrote:I wasn't sure we could grow avacados. They are great for your animals too.

here is the Che http://ediblelandscaping.com/buyPlants.php



Maybe someday we can all build a list of what plants we all have/want and get cutting from one another. This way one person doesn't buy 400 different fruit trees.

I plan to take mimosa and black locust cuttings in the spring and see if I can get a lot of them. They will be my mulchers/ n-fixers and mimosa will be a permanent tree for me.

We can...just have to be certain cultivars. A lot of the ones they sell at the big box stores don't work around here. Look for Opal, Wilma, Pryor, Poncho, Joey, or Fantastic. I'm sure there are others that work but these are the one's that I am planning on buying.

Found this and thought it was great info


http://crfgsandiego.org/Documents/FavoriteFruitTrees%202009.pdf

Has anyone grown common serviceberry (aka amelanchier arborea)? If you have (or if you've just tasted some) I'd like to know if they taste good enough to take up space. Also I planted some elderberry and trentberry and huckleberry recently; any tips for keeping them healthy here in Louisiana? Thanks!

I grew up in Ruston, but am now living in Baton Rouge. So jealous of everyone's land! I live on maybe 1/3rd of an acre in the city. I have a bunch of fruit trees and a few small garden beds. I'm a lazy gardener (one of the reasons permaculture is so awesome, and also probably good that I don't have a bunch of land to work), so I've been looking to maximize land use while minimizing work.
At the back of my lot I have an area that I would like to turn into a mini food forest. I have a pecan, fig, apple, and mulberry tree currently growing there, all of which lose their leaves in the winter. Also have a pineapple guava, loquat, and lemon on the northern portion of that corner, all of which keep their leaves. Looking to plant a pawpaw or two because I've read they do well in shade.
What else would grow well under my gigantic pecan and mulberry? Right now I have about 500 daffodils, and even more gladioli which while beautiful are not very functional.
Also looking for fruits that ripen in August/September. I have something fruiting in every month except those, and it would be nice if I could enjoy fresh harvests all year round.
I've tried growing mirlitons 2x now, and have never gotten them to sprout. I purchased them from the farmer's market and planted them dirrectly into the ground. Is there something different I should have done?
Currently trying to grow sweet potatoes for the first time. I am growing slips in pots right now. Where would be a good place to plant them if I wanted it to be a semi permanent bed? Is there anything I could plant with them?

Rebecca, I don't know the Baton Rouge area but some of the under stories I'm getting for this area are: cornelian cherry dogwood, service berry, spice bush, huckleberry (it likes sun but seems to grow really well pretty deep in the woods too), muscadine grape, maple, wild black cherry, common hackberry, choke cherry and crab apple. I also have 3 varieties of quince but they do like air circulation and sun or they are prone to rust.
I have an urban lot too so I'm using hugglekultures and key hole gardens to make the most of it and I'm planting the bigger stuff (pecan trees etc) in my neighbors yards as I have friendly neighbors. I'm also gardening at a friend's house as she has 28 acres, no time to garden and she likes to eat fresh, organic veggies and fruits. I'm pretty excited about this community approach to my gardening-it wasn't initially planned this way but I think it's great and really in line with my philosophy. Everyone benefits! I wonder if I know any of your friends or relatives in Ruston.

Hello I'm moving to Rustin in June.
Looking to connect with some locals.
Gonna be headed out there in July ish to look for a place to rent.
Any contacts or suggestions would be great??
Thanks in advance

Hi Tim, I just want to clarify that "Rustin" is a typo and not another town. I live in "Ruston" which is between Shreveport and Monroe (LA Tech University is here). Is it Ruston you are moving to? I am aware that there is a Reston, LA because I made a mistake looking for something on line when I spelled my town incorrectly.

Hi Janet,
Yes, it is Ruston were moving to. Going to be renters. We are going to want to garden and have some goats and chickens.

Well then I will be on the look out for some place you can rent. When you're here checking things out let me know and we can get together; there are not very many permies in Ruston so it will be good to meet someone else. I'll show you around my garden and introduce you to a friend who is further along than I am (she already has chickens and goats etc). The organic CSA, 47 Daisies, is closing as the owners are moving out of state. Their property would be awesome but they may want to sell rather than rent. You may be able to see photos if they are still on line- check under 47 Daisies.

I contacted them they were in talks with someone sounds like they are in the process of closing escrow. Any who could you email me my wife will be there thus coming wed and would like to meet with you if possible? Thanks i look foreword to meeting you in person. Gave a great day Tim

Tim, I sent an email and i look forward to meeting your wife and, some day, you too. Let me know if, for some reason, you don't get the email.

I am new to this site but excited to find that there are people in Louisiana practicing permaculture. I am in Ascension Parish and have just started planting fruit trees and nitrogen fixing plants in my yard. Our soil is on the acidic side, and it has a very high amount of magnesium, so we have some work to do to make it more balanced.

I am looking forward to learning what works for our small, strange growing climate.

Hi I'm new to permies and to permaculture
I'm down here in terrebonne parish
We are currently saving and looking for land in your general region basically anything north of lake pontchartrain will do
Until we move though I plan on doing a little practice in permaculture and genral growing
Anyway I just wanted to say hi

Wow Look at all the Louisiana Permies. How about we have a convergence to compare notes?

Mark Boland. Baton Rouge

I just started a Facebook page for a Central Louisiana permaculture guild named "Red Stick Permaculture Guild". I could not find one so I generated a page. If you are in the area and would like to get connected to like minded people please friend the page.

https://www.facebook.com/Redstickpermaculture?skip_nax_wizard=true&ref_type=registration_form

I'm a few years late here, but maybe some of you are still lurking.
I am moving to Hammond La in the next month, and while its more the south east, I am hoping to find some permaculture growers in the area to learn from and discuss things with.
I've had a garden before, but want to create a food forest. And as much research as I have done, I know theres a lot more to learn. So if anyone is in the Hammond area, or even have a permaculture garden within an hour or so away they are willing to give tours of, feel free to contact me.

Good Morning!  I’m in Lafayette and just found this thread.  Anyone still working with their permaculture garden?  My husband and I recently bought 9 acres and I’d love to create a food forest on a portion of the land.  We have 6 mature pecan trees, 2 satsumas, and 2 persimmons currently and I’d love to add on. 😃

Hi Charity!  I just moved to the area--in Maurice.  We are on 5.8 acres and I would love to connect as I plan to start a food Forrest as well.  

hello my name is roan and i would like to do permaculture in your area.
can i come live at your farm and learn your techniques please?

Hi, I'm in Washington parish and would love to connect with other Louisiana permies!

Hey everybody!  I'm recently moved back to the Lafayette area; getting a few urban gardens going around downtown.  Less than an acre, total.   Happy to connect with y'all!

Any updates on how the fruit trees named in this thread are doing now 9 years later?

These are the plants I'm aware/ have witnessed thrive here:
-satsumas/lemons/grapefruit
-figs
-pecans
-mulberry
-river cane (Chitamacha weavers make baskets with)
-palmetto
-horsetail
-mirletons (I understand they need to get through 2 winters before they will produce. It was recommended to me to leave a 6ft diameter circle for their roots to be happy)
-elderberry (we are foraging berries now)
-turmeric )perennial for 4+ years)
-moringa (not necessarily perennial/not hardy)
-okra (and lots of other heat loving/tolerant veggies grown as annuals)
-strawberries
-ginger (not sure if it will naturalize or not yet)
-artichokes (not sure the longevity of their patch but Marcus at the Urban Naturalist   has some a few seasons old. Highly recommend his IPM/whole-ecosystem focused local nursery
-asparagus
-a food forest in Rayne is getting avacado fruit, but I'm not sure they are successfully ripening yet
-bananas! (same friend recommends highly for future climate in the region)
-dragonfruit
-muscadine grapes (I hear about people growing others but no details yet)
-sweet potatoes (it seems first year harvests are significantly better)
-mushrooms
-blueberries
-luffa
-roselle hibiscus
-loquat
-manglier
-persimmon
-pomegranate (micro-climate matters)
-cactus

we are growing some of those and experimenting with the following others as perennial/naturalized garden friends:
-camilla sinensis
-garlic
-rice
-nettles
-Jerusalem artichoke
-other grains/seeds
-papaya

curious about:
-nut trees (I failed at a stab at chestnuts, I hear hazelnuts will grow and walnuts used to be very prevalent)
-coffee
-hemp