Casie Becker wrote:It is recommended that you not plant trees on hugelculture because as the underlying organic matter decays the soil sinks. This is very stressful if not absolutely deadly to trees. In a dry climate it can be useful to plant trees around a hugelculture but I don't know if it would work as well in a wetland. Mostly shorter lived perennials and annuals are grown on such mounds.
If you're allowed earthworks, I wonder if you could form a series of islands where the seasonal water accumulates in ponds and the soil excavated is used to build mounds. Without the high percentage of underlying decaying matter, these mounds would be much more stable than hugelculture.
I agree. You really want to get your tree roots above the water table. Only a few trees can survive being in water for a period like willow. And fruit trees will likely not survive I do not know any.
You have not mentioned how much area you want your food forest. I assume that you are not planning commercial purposes but for your own personal/family consumption. When things are on the personal/family consumption level we might be willing to take more risk than if it is our livelihood.
Plus you did not mention if you want to build a house on the land. These days with the extreme weather dropping 10 inches of rain you do not want your house flooded.
Plus, in some areas more and more of the wetlands are protected for the wildlife birds so you want to make sure there are no restrictions.
It might be better to pay more for less land than to regret your land purchase because it is too limiting what you can grow and do on it
Paul Wheaton talks in a recent podcast about people buying land and then regretting and then cannot sell it for what they paid. If someone knows which podcast, please post it.