Zone 8 - DFW - Food forest & urban gardening

1 year ago (Summer 2016) I bought our house on a 1/4 acre of land, in an HOA, on the north side of Ft. Worth. The previous owner did absolutely nothing with the backyard so it was perfect for my lifelong experiment.

Here is what I put in the fall of 2016 and spring of 2017:

FRUIT/NUT TREES
Apples - 3 granny, 1 Golden Delicious
Avacado - Cold Hardy (Potted)
Cherry - Minnie Royal
Citrus - Mexican lime, 2 Meyers lemon, kumquat, arctic frost, frost orange
Fig - Celeste
Kiwi - Hardy
Mulberry - Persian
Olive - Unknown Home Depot
Nectarines - 1 Smooth Zest One
Peaches - 2 Loring
Pear - Shinko Asian
Pecan - Unknown (donated by neighbor kid)
Plum - Methley, Santa Rosa
Pomegranate  - Unknown Home Depot


GRAPES
2 LadyFinger Seedless
2 Red Flame Seedless
2 Summer Royal Seedless
1 Thompson Seedless
1 Monukka Seedless
2 unknowns from home depot

BERRIES
BlackBerry - Natchez, Navaho
RaspBerry - Shortcake, Nova, Prelude, Anne, Brandywine, Fall Gold, Heritage

HUGELKULTUR HILL
Asparagus
Basil
Spineless Prickly Pear
Peppers - Shishito, Banana (Hot and Sweet)

24x12 GARDEN BED
Onions
Garlic
Green Beans - Blue Lake
Brocolli
Cantaloupe
Corn
Zucchini

RANDOMS
Mint
Oregano
Rosemary
Lavender
Canna Root (lily)
Sunflowers
Cucumbers
Volunteer cherry tomatoes
Egyptian walking onions
day lilies

Problems, Plans, and Mishaps
- Lost the Keiffer pear tree (didn't include in the list above) this summer to fire blight. not too upset, dropped in a random olive tree
- Having to figure out how to protect 5 citrus trees (2 lemon, lime and the Arctic and frost satsumas) because I planted them in the ground on the south side of my all brick home, near the wall. I plan on getting a temporary greenhouse frame up around them before this weekend's frost.
- I have so much Texas white limestone in the ground it isn't even funny. On the bright side, I've managed to line the garden beds with the rock so that nothing is wasted.
- I've been lucky with the neighbors giving me their tree, grass and leaf materials for my hugel beds as I expand out my main veggie bed.
- I task myself with not using a single herbicide, fungicide, insecticide or fertilizer on anything this entire year. My reward is that I've seen several preying mantis and that's rare. I also had a swarm of ladybugs too. The SVB got to my summer squash and zucchini but I will prevail... just maybe with another variety of squash.
- I have been seed saving like a lunatic.
- I've lost weight
- I've gained muscle
- ran a perimeter wide irrigation system on a timer

GOALS
- I'd like to start planting more perennial food items under the trees and other nitrogen fixers so that I don't have to fertilize.
- I'm trying to put more veggies in my diet than before. I grew up on meat and potatoes with the occasional canned veggie (corn or green beans) and would like to incorporate greens and squashes into my families diet.
- I've replaced my husbands store-bought herbal green tea(s) with mint infused water with a bit of raw honey. Any other ideas would be awesome.. I've heard you can use raspberry leaves
- I already eat a lot of deer, antelope and elk meat from my father's fall hunts. I'd like to add other protein sources when we tire of these.


QUESTIONS
- has anyone else successfully grown the cold hardy satsuma citrus in the ground in zone 8 or DFW? Everyone keeps telling me I can't but I'm not one to follow rules so here goes!
- I need recommendations for a tasty tomato(s) that is/are prolific and I'd like to perhaps start a landrace for plants better adapted to North Texas heat
- what would a good "plant it and forget it" strawberry be for this area, I'm thinking of interplanting with the asparagus.

I planted a satsuma citrus this year. It hasnt went thru a winter cycle yet. My horse decided to use it to rub his belly. After that its been limping along with only 2 remaining leaves. Im a couple hours south of dallas.

I have the same blackberries. They are doing great.  

You may look at a persimmons tree. They can take some shade.

Keep it up. You are doing a lot in that space.

I have an unknown cherry tomato that comes back every year. Its an heirloom indeterminant. Enuff fall to the ground that they sprout the next year. Its been 6 years now without planting . The bulk of the harvest comes this time of year.

I have had no luck with strawberries.

wayne fajkus wrote:I have an unknown cherry tomato that comes back every year. Its an heirloom indeterminant. Enuff fall to the ground that they sprout the next year. Its been 6 years now without planting . The bulk of the harvest comes this time of year.

I have had no luck with strawberries.

I've had people tell me raspberries don't grow here or do well. But I've been eating a Fall Gold and Nova this past week. I think the trick will be finding the right micro-climate.

I forgot to add that I also have Malabar spinach and would love to get my hands on some perennial broccoli. I also planted a globe artichoke but it is limping along... then again, I never setup a water line to it. I think I will move it to the Hugel Hill this winter.

I've been trying to put as much of the long-term perennial stuff in so that it can get established while I slowly build a food forest. There is a fence line along the back of our yard where the neighbors can see into our backyard because they are at the top of the slope and I am at the bottom. I'm trying to do a 2 tree wide line down the length of it. All the trees had a mulch ring this spring and are due for more now. I signed up for chip drop so lets hope. i'd like to add some berry bushes all around, under the fruit trees. I'm thinking:

BERRY PLANT THOUGHTS
Elderberry
Blueberry
Gooseberry
Honeyberry
Lingonberry
Boysenberry
Loganberry
Marionberry
ChokeBerry
Goji Berry

sugar Cane

Sara Rosenberg wrote:

HUGELKULTUR HILL
Asparagus
Basil
Spineless Prickly Pear
Peppers - Shishito, Banana (Hot and Sweet)

I'm curious to know how those asparagus are doing on that hugel? I'm doing my research and studying now for a future hugel. At what heights have you planted these items? I'd like to inoculate some of the appropriate woods going in to the hugel with mushroom spawn/plugs to "build in" mushroom patches. What could be better than fresh mushrooms and asparagus!?

Sarah, I am new to this forum. I am researching and learning about Perennials and Permaculture Food Forest Gardening for my area, Zone 8a Texas (Heat/Drought tolerant edible plants)
I just learned about 'Everglades Tomatoes', 'Alpine Strawberries', and reading up on Perennial types of greens/spinaches.

I am looking forward to learning from all of you on this subject!

Bj, welcome to the forum.

I have heard about Alpine Strawberries thou never heard of Everglade Tomatoes, tell me more!

Hi Anne Miller, and thank you for the 'Welcome'!!
I've been reading and researching a lot about edible perennials and wild or uncommon edibles to grow at home. I came across Everglades Tomatoes. I had never heard of them. They are native to Florida Everglades, are said to be the 'wild ancestor' of the common tomato. They are smaller than a cherry tomato, and more flavorful, also prolific/heavy producers .They aren't technically a perennial, but will re-seed themselves every year, if you let some fall to the ground. I can't wait to try them.