Creating an Apple Tree Guild

Creating a fruit tree guild provides many benefits including better pollination, protection from harmful insects, and better fruit production. A guild harnesses the power of nature in providing mutual benefits for the entire mini ecosystem.
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[@spritecut]

This was very informative as an introduction. Just a note, Lemon balm is also a mineral accumulator and will self seed. Thank you and best of luck.

[@RoseRedHomestead]

Thank you for telling me about lemon balm! A neighbor gave me more today so I will be planting it this week! And thank you for watching.

[@Oliveo2655]

This was so informative! I have been struggling to understand what a guild is and your explanation was perfect. I took notes.

[@RoseRedHomestead]

Glad it was helpful! That makes us feel so good when people can benefit from what we present.

[@Stephenrsm7600]

WoW, I never realized all that goes into creating a tree guild!!! And what goes into knowing what you need to take care of your soil!! Very informative and educational video!!! Thank you very much, Miss Pam and Mr. Jim!!

[@RoseRedHomestead]

Glad it was helpful!

[@daysiq.8279]

Thank you so much for your video! Its the first one I see and I really enjoyed the content it was very informative. I just became a subscriber 🙂. Please share more videos like this. I really appreciate this type of content as I am starting from scratch trying to plant a permaculture/food forest garden. Much blessings to you🙏🙏🙏

[@RoseRedHomestead]

Thank you. We have struggled with permaculture in our climate. We will continue to try, but it is challenging. I hope you have more success than we have! Thanks for watching.

[@lifehealing4773]

Same here, thank you for sharing

[@CreeksideSimplicity]

I'm in the process of figuring out how to plant a guild under our apple trees - this has been very helpful, thank you!

[@RoseRedHomestead]

I think guilds are wonderful! Good luck with your project.

[@listeninginspace]

Great video! I hope you've had lots of successes. Two suggestions that by now you may already have heard: Plant daikon radish to break up hard, nutrient poor soil and provide rich environment for soil microbes. Leave to rot in place. Second, you will greatly increase your apple production with proper annual pruning. Lots of videos online to learn about that.

[@RoseRedHomestead]

Our soil is mostly sand, so it doesn't need breaking up. I have planted daikon radishes just for the experience--grew some whoppers!!! Yes, I do need to learn how to prune better. I will check out some of those videos. Thank you.

[@dedramcdade9603]

I use ground molasses or liquid molasses in my soil. it really attracts the earthworms. ground molasses also repels fire ants. I treated my soil with molasses twice a year and had each worms galore. Epsom salts also help unlock the soil nutrients. Love your videos.

[@hollandsheroes8040]

I live in the high desert of NW NM. I have the same growing problems as you. I can't wait to see your how to video!

[@TheAvidGardenerNM]

I am in NM and working on building a food forest in my urban lot.

[@RoseRedHomestead]

Thanks for watching!

[@RoseRedHomestead]

That is great!

[@lisaweberdc]

When planting a new fruit tree, do you plant your companion plants right away (suppressors, attractors, etc.) or do you plant the winter rye?

[@judyjohnson1012]

Can’t wait to see the follow up video. I am just now planting my Apple trees. No other permaculture video explained it like you did. Thank you so much. I took a lot of notes and need to come watch it again.

[@RoseRedHomestead]

So glad you found this useful. We did the follow-up this past summer. Here is the link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mmW4p2eBn8aUZtk

[@karlastrebel1909]

Borage is a good accumulator, mulch, and attractor

[@RoseRedHomestead]

Yes it is. Thank you. I have planted it as well but it does not live through the winter so I opted for others that do.

[@LifeIsMessyImLearningAsIGrow]

Thank you for sharing your garden and knowledge with us. I’m a KZbin gardener too. It’s my 3rd year and ever year I try to get better. This year I’m trying intercropping/companion planting. I found your channel in my research. This is very helpful and I and so happy I found your channel because it has so much to offer. I hope we can learn more from each other as we grow our gardens and our channels! Happy Planting!

[@RoseRedHomestead]

Life: We are happy that we are able to help you with your gardening. Jim

[@zerrinekinci9219]

Thank you for this very informative video. I took many notes as I am planning to create tree guilds in a zone 6 garden in central Turkey. I love the 6 classification of a tree guild.

[@RoseRedHomestead]

Glad it was helpful!

[@fabricdragon]

may i suggest you look at Sea Buckthorn it loves sun, is a nitrogen fixer, and grows high vitamin C berries... assuming you havent already looked into them

[@lukedejour]

This was a great overview Red, thanks for sharing with us plebes!

[@rianajansevanrensburg2444]

Thank you for this very informative video. I just love utube. You learn about something and then guilds came up which I have never heard before and it makes so much sense. I have been wanting to do swales bur we live in a dolomite area and there are just to much rocks. I am planting my trees within the next week and will definitely start a quild

[@RoseRedHomestead]

So glad you found the information useful. Good luck with your guild! That sounds fantastic!

[@geogeduggan6579]

Looks great !

[@hollandsheroes8040]

Can you do a guild around an Oak tree? If so I am in zone 6 mostly sunny always. What should I put in my guild? The Oak is still small I am growing it in my green house right now.

[@RoseRedHomestead]

Yes, you can create a guild around any tree to support its growth. Because your oak will grow much taller than our fruit trees and will therefore become an overstory, you might want a secondary level of lower fruit-producing shrubs and then a lower level of some of the same types of plants in our apple tree guild. I did lots of research to determine the best one to use here. I love NM and lived there just over the border from El Paso for several years.

[@ronaldjones9429]

You could have left the cardboard out, but just used the compost and woodchips

[@RoseRedHomestead]

Thanks for the suggestion. We've done that without much success. But we are not giving up!

[@hollyssimplelife1634]

Hoe do you water all these plants?

[@forsak3th]

Listening to this video with pen and paper absorbing the wisdom. Thank you

[@RoseRedHomestead]

Glad it was helpful! We will be doing a follow-up video to this one in just a few days. Thank you for watching!

[@mellaniehulsey]

Soak card board

[@RoseRedHomestead]

Where we live in the desert the water was soaked up the cardboard and the sun evaporated it and never got to the ground to soak in.

[@Kay-xi9kv]

So informative! Thanks for doing follow-up video- these are the most helpful.

[@RoseRedHomestead]

Glad it was helpful!

[@Zelda798]

Good Earthworms should love that cardboard. I think you just probably need massive amounts of watering because it's so dry in your area I Absolutely learned a lot and appreciate this video! Thank you so much! Now I have the vocabulary I was missing for what I need to research for my area (Wasilla Alaska)

[@movementofvitalenergy33]

good job. good advice

[@judithstorck5195]

Thank you. Haven't done guilds yet but will start. We did have an Oleander seed sprout next to the only existing Apple tree & it is doing great. We just planted two more Apple trees for cross pollination & will do companion plants for them.

[@jhunixagutierrez5550]

This was so extremely helpful! Thank you. I have two; one year old apple trees that e getting attacked by red aphids… I have oregano cloudy but not as close I don’t know what to do to be able to correct my guild! Thanks

[@hummingbirdforestgarden]

You just popped up on my feed and I'm so grateful! Thanks for your great content - it's so informative and pleasant to listen to!

[@kerryl4031]

Thank you for explaining a guild. I've heard people mention them but never explained. Now I know. Am really interested in this aspect, thank you. We find your explanations of food storing also extremely helpful. xxx

[@mellaniehulsey]

Have you tried planting soybeans... legumes...laid in a spider web a soaker hose under ground to help with watering in dry times

[@firequeen2194]

Excellent video! I’m now searching high and low for “my” perfect acreage and I know I want fruit trees. So thankful you are willing to share your knowledge with us.

[@vikkisoderquist6013]

Now I understand a guild. Tfs. Please stay safe and sending hugs to you both 💜🙏😎

[@florcedillo7964]

Pine needles suppress weeds

[@joeyhardin1288]

Thank you.

[@happydayz9600]

Yes!!! I watched one of your recent videoes in which you talked about your apple tree guild. I have no idea what that is. Then, before I had a chance to research to find out what one is, this video popped up just now, so Yayyyyy!!! I'm am so looking forward to this. Thank you! ❤🙂🌻

[@RoseRedHomestead]

We will be doing more videos on same this spring. Jim

[@lynsmith2698]

I am so excited to try this. We don't have the soil issues that you do, but we have other issues. For the most part our soil is good but we live inside a rain forest where everything grows so lush...especially the weeds. But we do have long cold winters with lots of snow. Its not unusual to have 3ft of snow on the ground. and have -30C temperatures (as cold as -50C) I am going to spend a few hours with a cuppa and read about permaculture. Thank you so much for your great videos.

[@RoseRedHomestead]

You are welcome. I hope you enjoy learning about permaculture as much as we do. Thanks for watching and for your comments.

[@ReenyNY]

I had no idea fruit trees were so high maintenance

[@PennsylvaniaPrepper]

From what I've learned, lavender repels the coddling moth

[@RoseRedHomestead]

I wish I could grow lavender here. I have tried several different varieties and they just don't ever take off.

[@classicallearner5177]

This was very informative. Keep up the great work.

[@RoseRedHomestead]

Thanks, will do!

[@true_sound]

Can companion planting be profitable or yield more than commercial farming?

[@RoseRedHomestead]

Not having any experience with growing anything for profit--commercial or otherwise--I am not your best source for an accurate answer to your question. Sorry.

[@simplyrobyn3887]

Hello and thank you for all of the wonderful content that you faithfully post. I've been watching you for several years now and always glean much from what you share. :) Would you please give an update with how things have progressed with your fruit tree guilds? Positive or room to improve, we would love to hear how things are. Working towards improving our guilds this year, as well! Thanks again, Robyn

[@RoseRedHomestead]

Here is our first follow-up. We need to do another one! kzbin.info/www/bejne/mmW4p2eBn8aUZtk

[@simplyrobyn3887]

@@RoseRedHomestead I did enjoy watching that. So kind of your son to help out. Looks great! Yes, please do a follow-up. Thank you again for sharing!

[@PlowAndPantryHomestead]

I'd love an update on these guilds! I'm planning mine right now. What worked?

[@RoseRedHomestead]

ATA: We still have snow on the ground from a storm from the last few days and we have not had time to even work on the guilds. Our greenhouse is now finished, except for a few small touches and Pam has started planning on what she wants to grow inside and outside. We publish a video on the new plantings in the next couple of weeks. Thanks for asking. Jim

[@ADAWC]

Two years to develop soil structure? Wow! That is too long. You can do it in two seasons! Diversify is the key. Plant densely. Add more varieties of plants. Plus add wood chips, cardboard, green manure and mulch to improve soil life. I did mine over 10 years ago. I have no weeds. No dig. No insect invasion. No pesticides. No equipment needed except a small spade. My soil is so fluffy, moist and alive! When I grab a handful of soil for the ground, there are lots of earthworms and organisms. My yard attracted lots of birds. The birds brought over volunteer medicinal plants every year. Every time I checked the newly pop up plants, they always surprised me! They are heavenly sent! When you diversify, you don't have to work so hard. Nature will take its course!

[@monarchkitty]

Beautiful explanation!

[@ameeraljadie1282]

Thanks for sharing ❤❤❤❤❤

[@matthewloomis2942]

You need a swale

[@RoseRedHomestead]

Yes we do! We need someone to come dig it for us!

[@judyjohnson1012]

What would a swale do in her situation?

[@RoseRedHomestead]

@@judyjohnson1012 I imagine that Matthew has observed that we don't have a place to catch water runoff that then releases the water slowly to the plants. The problem is that our land is flat, so that would be difficult.

[@mellaniehulsey]

We have humongous earthworms here in Louisiana.

[@RoseRedHomestead]

Lucky you.

[@mellaniehulsey]

I would make a earthworm bed. It would help you.

[@RoseRedHomestead]

We had limited success with worms for our plants, but they never seemed to last.

[@wiezyczkowata]

how much space should I leave around the tree?

[@RoseRedHomestead]

Our guilds are different sizes. Our largest one is probably 25 feel long and 12 feet wide. They can be customized to fit your needs and the available space. Great question! Thanks.

[@wiezyczkowata]

@@RoseRedHomestead thank you so much for the answer!!

[@Kangaroojumper]

Do you have an update on this video?

[@RoseRedHomestead]

Thank you for asking. Sadly, our relentless dry summer winds killed everything I planted in the weeks after the video so we are right back where we started. I will be doing a follow-up video once we have some success in our next steps.

[@Kangaroojumper]

@@RoseRedHomestead have you thought about Australian natives? I'm from Australia and some of our natives are very drought tolerant and heat and wind tolerant . Not sure if you can get them in your country. Other option would be put a lattice boarder around the garden till the plants have fully established and can handle the wind and heat more the lattice will cut down the wind without causing the rocket effect solid wind breaks can cause (where the wind picks up speed goes over than hits down beyond the wind break wall at certain points harder than if the wind was just left to its own devices- if that makes sense)

[@ronaldjones9429]

@@RoseRedHomestead use the same concept with compost and woodchips....leave the cardboard out

[@RoseRedHomestead]

@@Kangaroojumper I will look to see if I can find any of those plants! Great idea. I have tried finding African plants as well, but not much luck. I am open to try anything!

[@RoseRedHomestead]

​@@ronaldjones9429 Thanks for the suggestion--I wish that would work, but we have tried that as well. We will keep on trying!

[@Protooling2023]

Awesome work . You are working for a clean & green tomorrow. I like your work. Can I have your email . I have some doubts

[@RoseRedHomestead]

You can contact us through our Facebook page if you like. facebook.com/RoseRed-Homestead-101761145228602