Got free space to plant, any ideas?

Hello there!

I got permission to take some of our field for my "scientific" purposes...meaning that I can plant whatever and however I want! The red line is the line, though I bet could easily use entire field, since my father doesn't sow it anymore, and it's being rented to a neighbour. But since I don't live here (yet), I've got to do my plantings and works now and then from spring to fall. Technically I guess I can work as long as the ground is not frozen. So any ideas for a future food forest? It gets plenty enough sun all right, and there is slight slope downwards (from the front of the picture to the back, I hope I explained it right). Few things I have wondered: there is a ditch in the perimeter (blue line), propably good for normal agriculture, but does it ruin permaculture methods? And of course the fact that is has been used as a monoculture field for as long as I remember. So I guess some deep rooted plants and nitrogen fixers should be used. The sea is just to the south, right behind the trees, maybe 100 meters or so, do you think it will matter?

I was thinking about planting some hazelrows to block the cold winds, but then I thought about sea buckthorn, they grow on the beach, so I bet I could use some cultivated variety also, do you think they might be suited for blocking cold winds as a hedge(ish) ?



Second picture is closer to our old "traditional" garden (it would be just left from the picture, even though it doesn't look like ite ), If I turned right I could see the first picture scene, the field. There is this old stone row that used to block cows, but now it just remains there. I was thinking that maybe there could be planted a row of....something, right next to the stones, since most likely they collect the heat of the day. Then again, it blows coldly from the field, so that might be a problem. It is on the downside of a slope, so most likely it's more wet than dry. No standing water though, I haven't seen that ever.

South-western Finland, so summers really bright and lots of light, but not so hot compared to midwest US (to my knowledge), even though the winters might be as cold. And of course winters are dark. And long. Or so it feels.  Zone 5-ish.


I just want to bounce ideas right now, so gimme all your wildest thoughts

If it's within legal limits, I would suggest industrial hemp.  The plant is 100% useable.  The flowers can be made into a tincture with a completely negligible amount of THC so there is no psychoactive effect, merely the pure medicinal effects of the CBD oils for things like fibromyalgia pain, RA and celiac disease. The outer fibers can be made into rope or textiles, the inner curd dried and mixed with hydrated lime for super strong and lightweight insulating concrete, and the remaining fibers can be used for craft papers.  


Google has failed me as to the exacting nature of Finland's status on industrial hemp though.

Yeah its legal, since I just yesterday saw few fields of it while driving, not so far from here. It is not widely planted, so at first I wondered what that plant was.
Do you mean that instead of planting trees and shrubs, I should use that space for hemp entirely?

My climate is quite different here (much more mild zone 8 and very little wind), but for your food hedge, maybe do a polyculture of sorts. That way, if one plant doesn't produce (like squirrels eat all your hazelnuts), you'll still get food from something else. Maybe a hedge of some mix of currants, hazelnuts, seabuckthorn, raspberries, nanking cherries, serviceberry, and maybe even Staghorn sumac (supposedly the berries taste like lemonade!). In front of these, you can plant some companion plants, like rhubarb and comfery for their taproots, etc. Another plant you could add to your hedge (or make the hedge out of) is sunchokes/jerusalum artichokes, which are like giant sunflower plants with an edible root, and are perenial. Another edible vegetable is nettle, which is delicious, full of vitamins and protein, can be used for making fiber (haven't tried doing that...), and is good for allergies. You just probably don't want the nettle next to plants you harvest frequently, to reduce the chances of getting stung...

I know in my area, salmonberry, thimbleberry, currants, blackberry, elderberry, nettle and hazelnuts all grow happily and naturally together, and so I would think that they (and plants they're related to) do well together in a hedge. (My area relies on alders for nitrogen-fixers, but maybe the sea buckthorn and a ground cover of clover could take it's place?)

As for the rest of your area, what are you looking for? Do you want lots of fruit, or lots of veggies, or grains? Do you want things that will give you food within a year or two (like raspberries and strawberries and anual veggies) or are you willing/able to wait a few years for fruit trees and other plants to mature?

Thanks for the input, Nicole.

This is definetely a long term project, also for the siple fact that I don't live there (yet), only visit my dad. So far none of the trees that I have planted in our old garden have died due to negligence, so I am keen to try trees. I'm afraid that annuals and grains might need more weeding (or not?) and that I cannot do as often as it should be done.  Mulching helps of course. And I know my dad that he doesn't like to go to do weeding, but rather just drive everything over with a lawnmower (true story, he drove over my blackberries, twice. They are ok after a year), so I just tell him to look out for the trees, and tell me if some is not leafing and so on.
sunchokes might be an answer, since they seem to be quite vigorous plants that spreads on it's own also (and I don't mind that really). Also guilds, good idea! Yeah, alders we have a plenty on the shore, and nettle is something you DON'T sow here, since you can just walk few feet to collect some. It is in abundance.
For the time I could spread comfrey seeds that I collected, they can be afterwards moved when trees/shrubs take their place, but could provide for biomass pretty soon.

How about quinces? I only have japanese quince, which is different genus, and a shrub, but I am keen to see if quinceTREES could survive here, maybe next to the stone wall? Does anybody have seen quinces survive through somewhat harsh winters?

Already I have tons of ideas in my mind, thanks to you all!

-J