I'm new here - but seeing a lot of great posts! I'm looking for some insights that might help with my nearly 5 year old food forest. It looks horrible! The basics are that I am in Illinois (about 45 miles North of St. Louis, Missouri) I installed swales (and berms). Two are 100' each and are blueberry and raspberry. The main swale is 440' long and is various fruit and hazelnut trees, along with support trees, with some boisen berries and blackberries near the overflow of the swale berm. My main problem is with trees dying and or just barely hanging on to life. I have very few that are still surviving from the original planting, NONE on the main swale berm are thriving! I have thrown THOUSANDS of $$ at this project and am at wit's end. I'll be glad to get "into the weeds" with details if there is anyone out there willing to help?
