1 Year Syntropic Agroforestry Update September 2024

[@JasminevandenHeuvel]

Spencer and Julie, I'm so excited to see your system really coming in. I think it's been about a year since N and I visited you guys. Things are looking SO good! I just love the amount of biomass you guys are producing! We have planted many of the same biomass species ourselves but need to plant way more... Looking forward to a visit to your place in the future. Way to go you guys!

[@tropicagroforestryspencerjulie]

Thanks jasmine! If I remember correctly I think yall came over before we got into the back forest. Things change quickly! Its all about the density and regular maintenence to maintain enough biomass to cover your area. If you're gonna mess with the super fast growers you gotta work them regularly so you don't fall behind. Sometimes I wish things grew slower haha

[@JasminevandenHeuvel]

@@tropicagroforestryspencerjulie I know what you mean! Yes you are right, it was not too long after Hakalau that we saw you guys at Julie's. Maybe time for another visit soon!

[@tropicagroforestryspencerjulie]

@@JasminevandenHeuvel come on by!

[@bruceburnworth8082]

Thank you for sharing!

[@Kevin-Cruz]

Beautiful system y'all! What are the latin names for the trees @ 1:10 & 3:54 ?

[@tropicagroforestryspencerjulie]

At 1:10 it is neleau, Rhus sandwicensis, our native poison less sumac. And at 3:54 it is engkala, Litsea garciae, native to borneo. A strange oily fruit, a sustenance crop for us. We have issues with avocados due to lace bug pest. So I started searching for other oily fruits

[@edrivera-pc4mb]

@@tropicagroforestryspencerjulie Hi, where can I find Engkala seeds for sale? interested in growing this plant, could you sell some seeds?

[@tropicagroforestryspencerjulie]

@@edrivera-pc4mb it was very hard to find. i dont have a seed source at the moment. there are not many producing trees here.

[@danielnaberhaus5337]

Lilikoi doesnt play nicely with other plants, im keeping it out of my rows. But it can be a good biomass producer, they can handle super high amounts of fertility.

[@tropicagroforestryspencerjulie]

Yeah lilikoi can be intense. Most perennial vines are difficult to manage. But its do able with a solid set up and regular management

[@danielnaberhaus5337]

@@tropicagroforestryspencerjulie yeah I prefer vines like air potato and uhi that die back periodically. Katuk also acts like a vine but isn't too aggressive.

[@tropicagroforestryspencerjulie]

In my opinion after year 3 yam is too aggressive. I haven't found a good way to eat it. So we just leave it as a famine food. But its all over everything right now. Air potato seems much less aggressive. Obviously there's different kinds of yams as well. We have two and they're both crazy. I think there are less aggressive ones around as well

[@charlesbower2876]

Cush cush yam from the West Indies is easy to eat (no woody fibre) and isn't an agressive plant.

[@tropicagroforestryspencerjulie]

@@charlesbower2876 very cool to know! thanks!

[@anthonyburke5656]

Hello, I’m desperate to find something in writing, IN ENGLISH setting out the Theory and Principles of “Synergistic Aggro-Forestry”. I think I understand the creation of biomass, the rows to create access and air flow, the inter planting during infancy until the system matures. However, I’d like the Theory and Principles set out and perhaps a list of plants and companion plantings, spacing between plants aimed to be the mature plants and what to put in between in the infancy stage.

[@tropicagroforestryspencerjulie]

do you mean syntropic agroforestry? here is the best compiled resource ive come across for english speakers adam.nz/syntropy in terms of getting a plant list and planting plan, thats a bit more specific to your needs and your area. so its about learning the concept then applying it and learning in your area. or best if you can find a mentor in your area. but agroforestryx can be a beginning help

[@hawaiianminute2813]

Mahalo. Excellent info. What's your elevation? I'm at 900 feet in haw acres. 14 years into my food forest 🤙🏽

[@tropicagroforestryspencerjulie]

Thanks! We are about 60' elevation

[@kyniemxotxa98]

jealous of your durians are those seedlings or graft? do you plan on topping them so they stay at a workable height?

[@tropicagroforestryspencerjulie]

The durians in that row are grafts from a friends seedling. Its two different genetics. She took the fruit from the trees grew out the seeds then approach grafted the mama genetic on them. So hopefully they will be as close as possible to the mother genetic. We plan on keeping the durians 30', 10 meters, tall. So yes we will be heavily managing and pruning them!

[@kyniemxotxa98]

@@tropicagroforestryspencerjulie nice! would love to buy some from you when they produce. last few times we were on the island we can't find any fresh durians (may & nov of this year)

[@tropicagroforestryspencerjulie]

​@@kyniemxotxa98haha I'm sure it will be 5 years before they produce. Still quite young. Send me a message next time you're around. Theres some places to look specifically for them. But we don't have typical seasons here. So its usually a bit hit and miss

[@hawaiianminute2813]

Where can I get safou? 🙏🏽

[@tropicagroforestryspencerjulie]

It's been a really hard one to get. I got some from Chester in town. But I've been really searching for more diversity. There's only a couple of people with fruiting trees that I know of.

[@soberanamana]

Looking awesome. No pigs? Or fenced in?

[@tropicagroforestryspencerjulie]

Thanks! We have a perimeter fence around the lot