Grass to Food forest conversion - Part 1, planting trees

[@Im-just-Stardust]

Wow what a difference between naked roots and rootbound pot. Very cool.

[@GimmeADream]

I love that you put the date on the video since KZbin is very inaccurate about the seasons.

[@saltriverorchards4190]

I love your walking trail approach to your garden designs

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

Thanks! I just need them to fill in with plants and I think then they'll really look great.

[@chachadodds5860]

Touring your land, is always a delight. I'm sure you simply make the rounds, and we see the same areas repeatedly, but you're always making changes, and the plantings are as well, so it seems each video is a new discovery, and I'm always learning something new from you. Thank you so much.

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

Thanks 😊

[@Growinginontario]

I picked up 40 bare root trees from wiffletree Nursuries also this spring.Excellent quality and growing very well.

[@stonedapefarmer]

Hey, this is how I do all of my planting. "I guess I have plants to get in the ground... let's do this in the least planned out way possible." 🤣 Friend brought out a blueberry last night, so it was like "Alright. Let's clear a spot, get it in the ground, and then we'll sheet mulch around it." Great to see the difference between potted and bare root after a few years in the ground. I always intuitively felt that the large potted fruit trees some of the local nurseries try to peddle were an absolute waste of money. Just never believed a tree of that size could have a healthy root system in a pot, no matter how big it was.

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

Yeah, I'm the same way... hmmm, I have some plants... where do they fit?

[@ParkrosePermaculture]

Thanks for sharing your plans! Hope you show what you end up doing with your hot tub area!

[@malloryyoung2310]

Wow - invaluable advice about buying bare root trees instead of the biggest potted version you can find. Guess my past year of stocking up on potted trees to plant 3 years for now when I have land for a food forest was a bad, actually terrible, idea...better late than never to learn this lesson though! Thanks - as always, fantastic content, Keith. Your pond area is looking really good.

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

Thanks Mallory!

[@pixelrancher]

That snow was a bit of a shocker. Happy it didn't stick around. Let's get planting!

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

For sure!! We have another bought of it coming tomorrow.....

[@pixelrancher]

@@CanadianPermacultureLegacy They're predicting rain in the Ottawa area - fingers crossed. Considering it's only the end of April, it's been a good spring so far. I've noticed a few bugs swarming around my head when I'm outside . Looks like blackfly season is upon us.

[@cccsberg]

Snow here in Alberta all last week. The moisture is great but I’m really looking forward to warming up this week.. still got 3 weeks till my big order arrives.

[@Asia_kanwal545]

Very beautiful

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

Thank you 😊

[@KASA0828]

Looks awesome!!! Ty for all your explanation. Helps us noobs.

[@StreetMachine18]

im in the same shoes. bought a house late last year. i have 12 trees coming in the mail tmw!!!! its still all suburban lawn so i will be taking notes!!!!

[@myronplatte8354]

That dogwood has some pretty low branches. You could probably plant a kiwi at the drip edge, then train it up the side of the dogwood tree. We have some grapes growing on apples that way.

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

Indeed, tried that. It has struggled for some reason. I'm trying grapes there this year.

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

Indeed, tried that. It has struggled for some reason. I'm trying grapes there this year.

[@myronplatte8354]

@@CanadianPermacultureLegacy Weird.

[@whereswendy8544]

The songs of robins in the fresh snow!

[@shelleyhood228]

You're a kindred spirit in the "just do it" attitude. We bought our farm last year after being lifetime urbanites and have been really inspired by your videos. Hope to connect in real life after the growing season as we're just in the Kawartha's. In the meantime we'll keep watching!

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

Fantastic sounds good. Hopefully covid cases come down so we can gather safely and responsibly.

[@Jo-ki3mj]

"Wrath of my family"! I laughed and laughed. I have been expressly forbidden to get rid of any more lawn by mine. There is also huge resistance to incorporating clover, given that it's taken us three years to bring the lawn back from the dead after our Day Zero drought. However.... I might just introduce it via stealth and scratch my head perplexedly at the "unmanageable invasion".... 😅

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

Haha. Yeah my wife is actually very supportive now that it's all growing and she can see it and walk through it. At first we definitely butted heads a lot. That's why we split out land into her space and my space. I got to do anything I wanted as long as I left the front and back yard alone for the kids. Thing is, the kids are older now and play differently. Less random running around on the lawn and more organized hockey in the driveway, bike rides, etc.

[@SmashPhysical]

Great video and info, thanks! Also you should see if you can convert your hot tub to a salt water one.

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

Cool, thanks for the idea. So many projects, it would be cool to do that, but it's pretty low on my priority list.

[@nodigBKMiche]

@@CanadianPermacultureLegacy well, with all the gardening activity, a hot tub is wonderful especially over 40😀👍🏼

[@cccsberg]

@@CanadianPermacultureLegacy Get some fish, let them become part of your system....

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

We have koi in the pond (mostly to resell as a side hustle) and trout in the creek. I may one day swap the koi for an edible crop of tilapia. I may also be vegetarian by then... trying to slowly reduce meat consumption. However I wouldn't feel guilty about eating sustainably out of my pond.

[@maryegerton6848]

Wasn’t that snow brutal? Jeeez!

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

Completely ridiculous. We were supposed to get some today. We are hovering juuuust above freezing.

[@twobrokewolves5884]

At the end of the planting season our farm store always has the "reject" trees for very cheap. The small fruit trees especially.

[@kcoker9189]

Awesome video, I'm at the very beginning of our food forest and I have to keep reminding myself that this first year we're just going to be building soil and get a few things planted as we get everything else ready. So excited to see it transform each year!

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

Yeah haha. It's always so disappointing when you plant so much and it's all so small. Part of that is what leads to the best part though - your little food forest growing in the background of your life. It's these little daily/weekly treats when you see something new or bigger than it was.

[@annehartmann6572]

We have Linden trees wich are pollarded every other year or so. They grow back strongly each year. You can give them the shape you want. And have ´salad´ each spring from these. Have a wonderful spring time. And keep planting more trees. Best wishes from Germany, Anne

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

Thanks Anne! You too.

[@KitchenGardenTherapy]

Its so satisfying to see tree planting. I had also just planted two bareroot trees (Peach and Paw Paw).

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

Wonderful! It really is. It's like this little gift that you give yourself. Every day, a day of your life passes by, and in the background of your life your trees are growing. It's very fun.

[@mistymounthomestead8594]

Thank you for this video , we getting some trees from Hardy Fruit Trees in zone 3 in Quebec on Monday. 1 buartnut 2 hazelbert 2 elderberry 1 Canada plum we also getting grapes, strawberries and wine cap mushrooms. So stressed on where to put all this, but really glad we are too poor to purchase big trees in pots lol though it would be better. Makes sense to me when you talk about the size of roots in pots not big enough

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

That nursery is fantastic. A little pricey but great plants. I haven't lost a single one from them.

[@JaneWeeks]

Pasture rose (Rosa Carolina) is a native rose in Ontario that smells heavenly and spreads.

[@formidableflora5951]

I plant my bareroot trees first and sheet mulch later MOST of the time, connecting all the tree islands in the lawn as I have the time. As you say, you really can't screw it up--AS LONG as the tree species are sited correctly relative to sun and moisture requirements. Plant those trees now!!

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

Yeah, the most dangerous thing is waiting years because you don't feel skilled enough or knowledgeable enough yet. Then 2 years passes and you wish wish just put the darn thing in the ground 2 years ago.

[@Sky-Child]

"The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago, the second best time is now."

[@andrewsackville-west1609]

Are there any concerns about water access for existing or new trees when sheet mulching after they're planted? I've got some existing fruit trees growing in a grass poly culture lawn. I'd like to sheet mulch around them and infill with shrubs, vines, and successor trees, but have concerns that the sheet mulching will be a problem for the existing trees.

[@formidableflora5951]

@@andrewsackville-west1609 Water readily makes it down through the sheet mulch into the soil here in zone 5 New England. In a droughty year, the cardboard may take a little longer to break down. This summer I have another sizeable area to sheet mulch around/between fruit trees already planted in a field; I'm sure they'll be fine.

[@andrewsackville-west1609]

@@formidableflora5951 yeah, makes sense. Thanks!

[@belieftransformation]

Great progress! You can add food grade hydrogen peroxide to hot tub water for therapy but it’s really hard to get right now. Here in Alberta, our season & zone 3 at our house are behind yours for planting in the spring. I’m starting more perennials this year by seed to put in our front yard with small bushes. I hope the sea berry starts arrive soon!

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

Thanks for the suggestion and good luck 👍

[@StephanieBacks]

oh! i'm so jealous of how high your graft line is! i have some trees that were grafted with barely 2" of the root stock. makes it so hard to plant and mulch without burring the graft line at some point (mulch washing in is my main problem).

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

Yeah for sure. Definitely nice when there's a few inches there.

[@PaleGhost69]

I was literally just wondering if there was going to be another video this week. I must have been on your channel page not even 2 minutes before this was uploaded.

[@PaleGhost69]

Those cuts are looking sharp! Even had two transitions into the next clip. If I make another compilation, I'll barely have to do any work. Glad to hear about the roses and raised beds. That spot was looking empty for so long. It's crazy how much of a difference a few sticks made in the before and after planting shots.

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

Haha yeah. That rose area wasn't planted out because of those stupid rail-ties that the previous owner used as a retaining wall. To get rid of them I'd have to make temporary supports for the whole balcony, and risk the whole thing collapsing (it's a 40 year old balcony/deck), etc. It's just not worth it to mess with it at this point. But yeah, the rail ties are why that wonderful south-facing area of my land is completely unused. At least with the roses there, I'll get some bee food going on, won't have to worry about health issues with any tar-leeching. Most of the leeching would have happened in the first 3 decades they were in the soil, so it's probably mostly not an issue anymore, but still... no point risking it.

[@PaleGhost69]

@@CanadianPermacultureLegacy I wonder if you could make a grey water filtration system there. It might even help draw the creosote oil (and whatever else they used) out. Then you can spread chops out through the landscape so it's no longer in concentrations high enough to cause damage. I've heard sunflowers can be used for chemical cleanups if that isnt an option.

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

Problem is that the slope runs down into the pond. I would have to do some decent sized earthworks to prevent that. Could be a good idea in the future. I have a bunch of projects which I'd like to work on before though.

[@PaleGhost69]

@@CanadianPermacultureLegacy Ah, I see. I could imagine it'll easily be a spot for sunflowers. The mammoths get so large they could even peek above your deck. Idk just throwing ideas out. If I hear a problem, I have to try to solve it or it bugs me.

[@Lauradicus]

Linden is a great medicinal too

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

Absolutely.

[@lars_larsen]

"... hopefully that pear..." oh the cliffhanger

[@lgrantsimmons]

I'm jealous that you received your fruit tree order from the same nursery I am waiting on. Like your example, the holes are dug and waiting on the trees. I did plant 3 hazelnut shrubs this spring and will be planting some heartnut seeds this year. I have grown dozens of oak, butternut, and black walnuts from seed, so I am expecting equal success with these. Our soil seems to suit the nut trees. Have you eaten Baurnut - I was considering purchasing some, but wondered if they were similar to the nuts I currently have.

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

I haven't tried one yet, no. Actually I haven't tried most of my nut trees. It will be fun once they produce, to see if I even like them. I do like almost any nut though.

[@zachlloyd9392]

Haha, I can't agree more. In just the 2nd year my trees are much larger, many are producing flowers, and my berries are going to produce this year, my asparagus is 5ft tall already. It's almost insane. Also, I put up 16 birdhouses this March in my 1.5 acres and birds are everywhere now. Many are House sparrows, but they would be here anyway, lots of wrens in several houses and I think I might even have Scissortails in the house I put up for them. Lots of activity in my orchard now on year two, where last year it was just grass.

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

So wonderful!

[@melissab8500]

I love it! I get so excited every spring when the asparagus comes up

[@jadedfork1]

I love watching your guilds. How far apart do you plant your trees?

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

Depends on the tree. I will have overstory trees planted 20 feet apart, but between them I have understory trees planted sometimes even 2 feet apart. I plant like nature does, cram packed. My new guild has pecan trees at 40 foot spacing as the overstory, and pears, serviceberies, seabuckthorn, paw paw, buffaloberry, all planted between the pecans. 2 of the service berries are 1-2 feet from eachother and will grow up as a single intertwined tree.

[@jadedfork1]

Canadian Permaculture Legacy that’s good to know. I was following the fruit tree growing guides until I saw you and Sean from Edible Acres planting them so closely, so I’m trying that with my food forest this year. One thing I have to ask is how do you avoid the critters chewing up the seedlings?

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

4 dogs running around the yard constantly helps. However I do have rabbit damage on some trees. I planted kale late season just for the rabbits so they have that to eat instead of my plants. If you watch my videos over this past winter I talk about my rabbit strategies in detail.

[@jadedfork1]

Canadian Permaculture Legacy will do. I’ll have to catch up on your videos

[@benjaminfleming2681]

Hey Keith! Love your videos I’m just now beginning my first food forest on my families 3 acres in Maryland. I’ve recently been watching a lot of videos on Korean natural farming and was wondering what your opinion on it is it seems to me to fit into permaculture but I was wondering what you thought?

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

I think there are many names to call regenerative human interactions with nature. Permaculture and KNF are just 2 ways to describe the same thing. Working WITH nature.

[@joyces.9021]

Where in Canada do you garden? I am in southern Alberta, zone 3b. First time viewer and new sub.

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

Don't like giving my exact location but I'm in and around Toronto

[@joyces.9021]

Thank you! I grew up in Port Perry.❤️

[@longarmsupplies]

I have some potted trees to plant. Do you think washing off the roots and trimming them is better? I'd never thought of that but it makes sense.

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

I've tried a few like that ajd I think it will work, but still don't have any experience with how they grow long term like that but I do really like the concept, and have seen a few people who swear by it.

[@swetalahiri9491]

Wonderful.

[@happyhobbit8450]

I do that with the sod ... don't remember where I heard that. How bad are old railroad ties? Do they actually leach that much?

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

VERY bad, especially the newer they are, and the more they are in the sun. These are VERY VERY bad. So bad that if anyone here has a garden with them, you need to dig them out immediately, dig the soil out and get rid of it. Really really really really bad.

[@danecaldwell9470]

Where do you get your trees from? I’m in S.E. Ontario and don’t know of any nurseries. I’ve decided I’m turning our 2 acres of lawn into a food Forest.

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

I focus on local nurseries, talking to them, telling them plants I would buy, ajd that they should look into getting some because the demand for them can be there, with permaculture growing. I give members this info, but don't put it out in the public for a few reasons. It allows people to figure out where I am, and also if everyone around Canada bought from these people my members (and myself) would have a hard time finding trees. These guys sell out super early as it is, so I reserve that info as a perk for members.

[@oobik_design]

I'm curious to understand how you expect to transition the grapes & kiwis from the post trellis to the living trees. Won't the vines break during any attempted transition? Thanks for posting this - great stuff!

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

I have no idea, I may need jam a T-post in and angle it towards the tree. No clue. They are all planted very close to each tree, so it may not be as bad as you think. Who knows though.

[@oobik_design]

@@CanadianPermacultureLegacy Haha - ok - I'm in a similar situation - but I'm putting in posts for a new trellis but would prefer to have a living tree.

[@dlh9503]

At around 17:00 where you said a bareroot tree will eventually surpass a rootball tree, would that also apply to seed starting smaller plants and bushes?

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

Yes that the optimal method of all. Seed planted in the final location the tree will grow for its whole life. The downside to that method is keeping them alive against competing grasses and other plants. But if they survive they will be the best versions of themselves.

[@drawingmomentum]

With fruit trees, the seeds may not give exact same fruit, could be smaller or sour...etc

[@helio2k]

Why are there rail ties under your house? :D Keith do you know how to prune young plums? I forgot to prune it back when i planted it and it already flowered and is leafing out. I got the problem that the 2nd branch from the top is taller then the first leader and i am not sure if and how to prune.

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

Prune plums the same way as peaches. Why are their rail ties? The old owner used them as a retaining wall and support wall for the back corner of the deck. 😞

[@georginageorgescu7571]

Thank you for all your videos, first. I consider that, if somebody is really serious about starting a food forest, your videos are a must. By the way, thank you for the CHIPDROP tip, got myself listed and I am waiting for the first drop. I have 10acres, so I'll ever have too much ! Now, I want to get to the beginning of the food forest thing: I already have a mini orchard of 14 trees and I want to start the cardboard / wood chip process. Here is my question: after laying the carboard on the grass, should I say the weeds? - and spreading about 6" of compost and another 10" of wood chips: how long do I have to wait until i can start planting? Do I plant the shrubs BEFORE the mulching process? If I plant in the 6" compost, won't the plants' roots encounter the carboard and die?

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

Ideally if you sheet mulch, you will let that sit for about 6 months to 1 year. This lets the cardboard completely break down. It lets the soil build well before planting starts. However, I know a lot of people won't want to do that, so alternatively you can plant trees, then sheet mulch around them. Yes, this will have some roots below the cardboard. As long as you keep the cardboard moist, then it won't dry out and become hydrophobic and block water and air. However, the best method is to do the sheet mulching at least 6 months before any planting. At that point, there should be no cardboard left. Try to keep the area from drying out completely, because once the cardboard goes completely dry, then it will no longer break down.

[@georginageorgescu7571]

@@CanadianPermacultureLegacy Thank you so much. I kind of figured that out, I was just being impatient. I know, I know, gardeners don’t have the luxury of impatience.

[@mxgangrel]

Look up how to make the chocolate substitute with Lindenberry

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

Nice! Will do.

[@mxgangrel]

@@CanadianPermacultureLegacy I do want to clarify though that you said Linden. As in cottonwoid or basswood. That's what i'm referring to. It dawned on me later you may have said linGOnberry. If so, I apologies.

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

Correct, Tilia Cordata

[@aaroncuriel233]

Use the hot tub as a large compost tea brewer.🤔

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

😆

[@suebar5177]

Hi Keith🌞 where do you get your bareroot fruit trees from?

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

I save that info as a perk for those who pay for consulting. If I gave that info out, my nurseries would get sold out way too quickly.

[@avag1424]

Can the Hot Tub be converted to salt water? Don’t know enough about this to provide concrete info, but have a friend in Nova Scotia that has hers set up I believe that way, without use of chemicals. Just like some people doing in ground pools using salt water also? Just a thought that may be worth looking in to😊 Being able to get into a salt water hot tub, to relax your tired gardening muscles, and your kids sore hockey playing muscles, might just be the most amazing thing for you and your family!? Cool dip in the pond early spring or fall, followed up by salt water hot tub soak!👍

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

Indeed, someone else mentioned that also. I may look into it once I finish all the other projects I have in mind.

[@NashvilleMonkey1000]

Absolutely, being afraid for the trees means we care, yesterday I watched the "Forest Man of India" video and he just poked the ground with a stick and put the saplings in each hole, unceremoniously. If you dig a perfectly smooth round hole the roots will circle and the tree dries up.

[@NashvilleMonkey1000]

Oh, peach trees do grow incredibly fast, as it has one of the larger seeds of any plant, and coconuts are up there with the absolute largest ones. We also have a few peach seedlings coming up now, and they are identified by a tuft of long narrow leaves just above ground level (but not for long as the aforementioned growing really fast)~

[@ericgaiser5696]

This has been so inspiring! We prepped a corner of our yard based off your last prep video! However it is the year of the 17 year cicadas so we decided to hold off planting until fall. Are you doing anything to protect against the cicadas?

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

Indeed brood X is coming. Have you seen any yet? I'm not doing anything. Please nobody use pesticides on them they have been here longer than we have. This isn't an invasion that is coming, it's a natural cycle. I may net some trees if the damage gets bad, but other than that, I am going to let nature run its course and hope the trees can handle it. Maybe I will protect some smaller trees if I get hit by a wave of them, so that they can regrow some leaves.

[@cdoane1110]

Don't know if you realized, there doesn't seem to be any close captioning on this upload. I really appreciate the CC.

[@rachelrolseth]

@@CanadianPermacultureLegacy I'm a secretary with some free time and I do a fair amount of transcription for my job. I'd be interested in maybe doing a trade for some consultation and/or for hire.

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

I think I managed to turn auto CC on (maybe it was just down temporarily). It takes a few days for it to work, but my video from just under a week ago seems to have Auto-CC on it now.

[@mikeholper553]

Another great video! Do you think Kiwi or Grapes will grow at the base of a Cedar tree? I have a clump of very mature Cedars with no branches 8-10 feet from the ground and was thinking of using them for vining. Can't find anything on line to say if they will grow near a Cedar. Thanks!

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

I think they may have issues at the bottom of mature cedars due to allelopathy. You can try it though.

[@jenn6838]

What kind of pecan can you grow? I'm also in a cold area and would love to have them!

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

Carlson 3, Lucas, Deerstand, Campbell NC4, Fisher, Warren are all varieties to look for. Hardy down to zone 5. I'm pushing zone on these myself, so we'll see how they do.

[@jenn6838]

@@CanadianPermacultureLegacy Thanks! I'll have to take a look at those varieties. I'm in zone 5 in the states, but all I keep finding is hardy down to zone 6. Keep us updated on your trees and food forest!

[@terrycarkner1698]

Tell me how you plant peach seeds.

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

Push em in the ground. You can do other things like crack the shell, cold stratify the seed in the fridge, sprout them in water, transplant to pots, etc... but if you aren't in a rush, you can just jam them in the ground and let them cold stratify over winter, and let the shell decompose over a year or more. Since I'm not in a rush, that's my method.

[@BrokenZen311]

I planted some new hazelnut trees, but squirrels/rabbits/something is eating all the leaf buds off of it and even chewed off the tip of one of them. How do you prevent that sort of damage to allow the trees to establish and grow? It's even more irritating because if they would let them grow, then these trees will produce enough nuts and food for them and us

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

I just overplant. If I want 1 plant, I'll plant 5. You can also get squirrel trunk protectors, that kind of helps. Having dogs outside all the time REALLY helps. You'll notice a massive rabbit theme here, I have so many of them everywhere. I see multiple every day. Also, check out my "rabbit fence" which I talk about at the end of this video kzbin.info/www/bejne/aWrCh2yaatmSjsk

[@justinp7258]

Thanks for the walk around! We have some more mature trees that perimeter our yard and we are hoping to raise the ground some to add topsoil as it is a new home build and the outdoor work has not been completed and we need to raise the grade. Do we have to be careful with the mature trees they are not covered at the base too much. I am learning that the base of a new tree needs to stay near the top of the ground like you mentioned. I am just wondering if a large mature tree needs same type of exposure. If so, can we bring the fill up around it and use wood chips or something up tight to the tree to bring the levels up? Thanks again for all your amazing content!

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

Indeed, ideally a tree has it's root flare just starting to widen as it enters the ground, and the roots of a large mature tree should poke up and be visible here and there. However, new trees planted in grass need fungal soil and low-grass-competition even more badly, so the woodchips really help. The roots will be a little under them, but that's okay. Over time the woodchips break down and the roots get thicker. Long long term, you aren't going to be running around woodchipping a forest with 50 year old nut trees (for example). You'll just let the leaf litter stay (just as nature does it) and it'll all take care of itself.

[@eulerizeit]

Do you have a video on what you would do if you do have a year to prep?

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

Yes, my essential sheet mulching guide which is linked in the video description. Definitely do that.

[@blesseddwellings9829]

I live in NE Ohio in the States. We get lake effect snow. Do you have a system for what type of plants you start with or even what order toward the south? I want to do a food forest, but I'm having a hard time finding all the info I need. Are these fruit trees all dwarf?

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

Some are dwarf but I actually am going for less of a human-harvested-orchard and more of a "create and live inside a forest where everything happens to be edible". So I actually need some larger trees and prioritize that over my ease of harvest in the future. However, if someone has limited space, or is going to be selling fruit at a farmer market, and is planting the fruit trees solely as a human harvest, then definitely go with dwarfing rootstock. Regarding the south question, can you elaborate? Do you mean, if I have a guild what trees do I put on the south edge for sun reasons? If so, then it's all about plant height. I put taller stuff to the north of any given guild. I don't really have a system, I just plant and learn. Systems are good and all, but I find they interfere too much with action. We are afraid to make any mistake so we don't get going, because we are waiting for a system. The best "system" in my opinion is nature. Overplant stuff and let nature decide who gets what niche. Nature will sort all that out. I got that from Sepp Holzer, and I really liked the idea of it. Oversow and then let nature figure the rest out.

[@blesseddwellings9829]

@@CanadianPermacultureLegacy That is very eye opening. I am so stuck on doing right that I am not getting anything accomplished. I was wondering about the height of the trees in regards to positioning them, so I believe you answered my question there. I want to do this.. But I have no clue what to plant first. I have a 12 acre property. It's mostly been used for traditional farming. We have tons of clay along with water that sits. I have a ton of work to do. But I'm looking forward to transforming our property.

[@matf3663]

Won't kiwi vine choke the trunk/branches of your trees as they twist around them?

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

Have to make sure they don't swap so much as climb.

[@KASA0828]

I can’t find sea buckthorn anywhere!!! Anyone have suggestions?

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

I'm not sure, I get all mine from a local supplier. You can also contact your local suppliers and ask them to look for them. Mine didn't carry them until I mentioned them, and now they sell out like hotcakes.

[@JWHealing]

Yes One Green World nursery in Oregon, USA has a number of varieties and they sell online and ship. (Of course I just glanced on their site again and now in late April a lot is sold out.) My only issue is I was looking there last year and they had females that are thornless but no thornless males. It seems that sea berry will spread so you'd be digging them up in unwanted locations and I'd rather that they were all thornless if I need to deal w/all that maintenance. Anyone find a sorce for a good flowering male that is thornless too?....Also maybe when searching with google call it sea berry rather than sea buckthorn. Same thing, but you may have more luck that way.

[@KASA0828]

@@JWHealing yes! I looked there! (I looked everywhere!) All sold out... I’ll keep checking! Ty for your reply! I will look for thornless, too! I may just have to wait till next season :(

[@KASA0828]

@@CanadianPermacultureLegacy I will try that! Ty

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

Thanks for stepping in with good suggestions Janet!

[@deborahtofflemire7727]

Does comfrey come up every year?

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

Indeed it does. It's just poking it's head out right now. I try to harvest it once before it flowers each year - then I leave it to flower for the bees. It's SUCH a good chop/drop soil builder.

[@kescah]

Don't feel bad if you do a video on growing grapes. I wouldn't mind. ;)

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

LOL. I can, but honestly I just randomly picked some varieties that I don't even know the names of, and planted them. I'm also not growing them "ideally" because my goal with them is to make a trellis that you walk under and pick grapes from above you. However the ideal way to grow them is on a dedicated 5 foot tall, 3 or 4-string trellis. So, I'd be teaching suboptimal techniques, only because my goal isn't to make grapes, it was to make a grape tunnel. Now that being said, Poppy is starting some grapes this year after tasting mine last year, and he's going to do it the "right way". So I can do a video on his setup when he gets it done.

[@daltondammthebabe]

When are you releasing the DLC. I WANT TO GROW WALNUTS.

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

DLC?

[@daltondammthebabe]

@@CanadianPermacultureLegacy downloadable content. If I make a video game I can release it and then make a new level and charge for that as DLC.

[@scoobertdoobert1204]

It's weird you think railroad ties are so toxic and disgusting. The tar they use to treat those ties is usually bitumen. Its the same stuff as asphalt tar, and it's just a highly polymerized form of lignite that formed due to the presence of water during its time underground for millions of years. Chemically speaking, it's not much different than leonardite. It contains lots of humic substances, but mainly ulmic acid. While it's not particularly useful to plants in that form, it's not harmful. The resins in bitumen are so starkly non polar and have such a high density that they don't allow a significant amount of water to diffuse into the railroad ties and so there isn't a lot of leaching happening. While there is toxic shit inside those railroad ties, they don't tend to leak out due to the reasons I mentioned. They will certainly not stunt the growth of a rose bush.

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

Great comment, but its not the bitumen that is the issue. It's the Chromated Copper Arsenate, creosote-borate, and copper naphthenate-borate that is found in many of them. Creosote alone is a harmful carcinogen, and no level of exposure is recommended to be safe.

[@scoobertdoobert1204]

@Canadian Permaculture Legacy wow I did quite a bit of reading, and that is some nasty stuff. I never knew they put anything like that on them. The more you know 👍

[@patiopermaculture3529]

Snow, snow, go away. Please don't come back in May...

[@cdoane1110]

What is a 'chiksaia' tree? Guessing this isn't the correct spelling.

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

It's a named variety of seabuckthorn. Chuyskaya.

[@cdoane1110]

Thanks. Adding it to my lust for when I get to planting my own small food forest next spring.

[@hope4truthlight162]

“Stop worrying about killing your trees!” But I’ve killed every tree I’ve planted! About 20 plus over the years. The only fruit tree I have is a volunteer plum that wildlife must have brought in a seed? 🤷🏼‍♀️. So unfair! 😭😂

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

What is your soil like? Try doing my sheet mulching guide (it was linked in this video). Set that up a year in advance and build that soil before you put the trees in.

[@hope4truthlight162]

@@CanadianPermacultureLegacy That’s a great plan! Unfortunately I kinda panicked this winter and ordered about 28 trees. 😅Not sure why they’re not here yet? 🤷🏼‍♀️ My soil is more suited to making clay pots than fruit. But I have been learning about terracing with swales and also permaculture so hoping for a better outcome! 😬🤞🏻

[@FebbieG]

@@hope4truthlight162 We have heavy clay soil where I am, and in the summer it gets as hard as rock and splits apart with enormous cracks you could break a leg in. Planting into the native soil can be an absolute nightmare. This January, I laid down a layer of (unfinished.... Oops) compost, a layer of cardboard, and then a thick layer of wood chips along my fenceline. All the late winter and really spring precipitation broke things down really well. I started tomato starts from seed in February, and finally got to planting some of them out last week. Some I planted directly into the clay, and it was a big job to just plant three. I got exhausted using the huge shovel in the clay, and decided to plant in the mulched area instead for a while. I got about 10 new tomato plants in the ground so quickly, probably faster than it took to plant one in the clay. I had to punch through the cardboard which still hasn't broken down, but it was easy because of all the retained moisture, kept digging past the compost layer and into the clay layer. It was such a comparative dream to plant into. The clay was nice and soft and crumbly, absolutely beautiful. I can't wait to see what it's like after a full year of decomposition.

[@hope4truthlight162]

@@FebbieG That’s inspiring!! Thank you!!

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

Another good plan for clay soil is to plant natural decompactors like radishes. There is a VERY large radish called Daikon Radish. Plant those and don't eat them, just leave them in the ground. They will decompose over the winter. The plant will naturally break up up clay, and will turn into worm food.

[@erikasanchez7972]

You had a 2 ft peach tree and you let it go to 20ft? That does not make sense unless you are more interested in feeding the wildlife instead of humans.

[@CanadianPermacultureLegacy]

You nailed it! I do still get more than I can eat, but yes absolutely my goal is to live with nature. Every animal that lives in my plot of land also deserves to live, and for that they need food. I have no problems sharing.

[@melc-centex1091]

Link to part 2: kzbin.info/www/bejne/o52lhqaPr7-tmMU