by George Collins » Sun Oct 13, 2013 4:08 pm
I've been meaning to give an update for awhile but every time I sit down to do so, something comes up. Now I have a few minutes, here tis:
The canopy layer is probably 80-90% intact. Plums are proving to be difficult to grow in the garden which is strange because we have plenty of plums growing in multiethnic locations between my hog-food forest and Youngblood's yard. I will likely replace those plums that didn't make it with some apples of pears next year.
The low tree layer has survived almost completely intact. The goumis and Russian olives are ripping. The Siberian pea shrubs are struggling but they were intended to be sacrificial specimens anyway so no big loss there. My native plums are all doing well although growing more slowly than I anticipated. I lost a few figs but I planted enough to compensate for losses and I have several more growing in pots that I propagated back in the spring.
Several blueberries have made it although they don't look all that good. Beyond those few survivors, the shrub layer and herbaceous layers were decimated. The summer of 2012 will likely be the harshest of my life. When added to the fact that my shipment from Burnt Ridge Nursery (where most of my shrub layer specimens came from) didn't arrive until April, they never really stood a chance. If faced with the same circumstances again, I would have potted every specimen until the flowing spring.
It was this almost total loss though that prompted me to put a hard rule into place - plant absolutely no bare root specimens after February 28th.
Following that rule led to an almost 100% survival rate of those trees planted between Jan 1st and Feb 28th, 2013. (I think only one tree was lost from this group.)
I have every intention of bringing a forest garden to fruition in the fullest expression of that term. Since the canopy layer though is the limiting factor, I made the conscious decision to divert my attention (and money) elsewhere (hog food forest) this past year comfortable in the belief that doing so in no way has negatively affect my long-range vision.
"Solve world hunger, tell no one." "The, the, the . . . The Grinch!"
"If you can't beat them, bite them."