M Ljin wrote:I think it’s a wonderful idea! Especially since you are hoping for a perennial food forest—if you were tilling and growing annual crops or using large machinery it might not work as well, but for a human scale and growing perennials, it’s very practical.
Demilunes are known as pillows and cradles when they form naturally in the forest—when an old tree is tipped over and uprooted during a windstorm. They are a reliable indicator and one of the defining characteristics of old growth forests! So it’s very fitting to that you would combine those ideas.
How much land do you have to work with? Theoretically, the bigger the area, the more improvement there should be in microclimate, especially towards the center. And mycorrhizal networks that transport and store water would appreciate it… oaks (and the rest of Fagaceae), birches, and conifers tend to be the most mycorrhizally partnering trees, so planting them at least in small numbers throughout could be of benefit.
I don't currently have any steppe land, just a small piece of suburban dirt. One mortgage is enough for me right now. That said, it's not out of the question that someday I might have the opportunity to buy a barren piece of the void. If I have a realistic plan to make it something nice (like a perennial food forest that could feed my family) then maybe it'd be worth it. It's definitely the kind of project I like to take on, and it will at least get me outside enjoying the sunshine every weekend for the rest of my life.
At the moment, land restoration and permaculture are subjects that I find extremely interesting to learn about regardless, which is why I ask this question now.
I'm wondering what array of plants should go in such demilunes. As I understand, you can put different types of plants in different parts of the basin. This enables companion planting. I'd naturally want a mixture of plants that go well together and are, ideally, native or non-invasive. Nitrogen fixers, shade and windbreaking shrubs or trees, and as much yummy food as I could get out of it. Would it benefit from letting chickens graze as well? What could grow in the spaces between the demilunes?
