Ultimate Guide to Designing YOUR Permaculture Orchard

I went through the STEEP Learning Curve, to save you Time and Money.
Here's 17 Valuable Lessons You can apply to Your Home Orchard or Permaculture Orchard that I wish I knew when I started.
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=== MUST WATCH VIDEOS ===
Origin story of MY Permaculture Orchard: • I HATED Tent Caterpill...
How to Plant YOUR Orchard (TRIOS): • TREE TRIOS THE KEY TO ...
My Favourite Playlist (Indicators Of…): • Indicator of... Series
My BIGGEST Mistakes made in the Orchard (Playlist) THIS WILL SAVE YOU crazy TIME and MONEY!!!: • MISTAKES Series
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=== SOCIAL MEDIA ===
My FRENCH KZbin Channel: / @levergerpermaculturel...
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Linkedin: / stefan-sobkowiak-91694442
Twitter: / permaculorchard

[@StefanSobkowiak]

To all you Permaculture Orchard Enthusiasts this one is packed with great information. EPIC. Question for you: Where are YOU at in your journey towards Your Permaculture Orchard?

[@CriticalThinker27]

Thank you, Stefan! You always offer the best time saving and simple minded approaches to growing you own food. You've definitely helped inspire me to start a food forest with about forty trees so far in northeast texas. I've got everything that's been recommended to me by local tree nursuries to thrive. Several different apples, pears, persimmon, jujube, pecan, figs, sweet potatoes, asparagus, black berries, blue berries, and muscadine grapes, pine apple guava, red purple and black strawberries, moringa, strawberry tree, avocado, banana, dragon fruit, etc.... I have to supplement some heat in winter a little here and there for some in the green house but most thrive here on their own. I still need to plant shrubs and bird houses. It's coming along though. Just started this spring. All by one man and a 26 hoarse tractor. Much love and respect to you Stefan.

[@SeekingBeautifulDesign]

Tree and shrub layer in place for new concept in food forest design. Berries, hazelnuts and tree fruits starting to bear. Tree nuts far off. Developing design methodologies for integrating the following with those native and non-native food forest plants: 1. native pollinator and caterpillar support research 2. human biophilic research 3. human exercise research 4. human diet research 5. aesthetics from western landscape and eastern garden theory as well as research on human aesthetic preferences. Any examples of food forest design methodologies that include the standard permaculture/agriforestry/syntropic approaches with the 5 other design criteria above?

[@denisebishop9276]

I am in my second year with most of the necessary ground, shrub and fruit tree layer. I'm kinda mixed on the idea of putting clover in the permaculture because it's invasive and grass is a definite no no. Yes or no to clover?

[@jaycruzsemple]

I have a very small back garden in Scotland with very waterlogged heavy clay soil flooding a lot but all my fruit trees and berry and currant plants are in all different shapes and sizes of containers it is working out good so far but hopefully one day get my eyesight restored and be able to work again to get a job and buy my own piece of land to get ever from in the ground somewhere nice feeling this I plan on keep on trying to get a piece of land for a community and the make my trees there so they can be established in the ground

[@ignatriuslongola9045]

I'm in the second year. Sub-Saharan Africa. Can't mulch because of termites. Losing lots of plants and trees to termites. Any ideas how to combat them? Seems all I can do I make borax bait and spread the wood pieces all over the area....

[@tmzumba]

I have to share that I'm really proud of myself. I had a diverse collection of smaller plants growing in pots for three years while I was renting. We moved into our home last year, and I got to transplanting right away. So far we've been able to harvest fruit since April, because I made good choices in spacing out different types of fruits. My guess is that we'll continue to have fruit all the way through December when I harvest my medlars. :) Thank you Stefan for sharing so much wisdom with us. I'm learning and propagating with the intention of finding a large lot to rent or buy within the next few years. :)

[@FebbieG]

I took the "plant what grows like a weed" advice a couple years ago, and the two blackberry bushes I planted have spread into about 15 plants.

[@steveg9939]

Just start. Best advice you gave me when I visited Miracle Farms two years ago. With « only » 5 trios there is so much space left for berries, garlic, rhubarb, etc. Now, I am in the « learning from my mistakes » phase 😂 Deer, bugs, soil…I am learning everyday.

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Fantastic, glad you took it to heart. Now you can apply it to other areas of your life.

[@steveg9939]

@@StefanSobkowiak The nursery is now something I am working on. We have plants a plenty that we can multiply

[@eliinthewolverinestate6729]

I have a mature food forest. Zones 3-5 central U.P. on white sand. Not a lot of distance between zones. We have cherries, red maples, service berries, wild strawberries, blueberries, thimble berries, raspberries, black berries, bunch berries, currants, wild gooseberries, bilberries, loganberries, wild ramps, trout lilies, crow berries, bear berries, and few other berries. I have planted a sweet cherry, domestic strawberries, rhubarb, onions, and asparagus. Gonna try grafting to service berries and wild cherries. I dug up some apple root stocks that are in planters for now. Got a cherry plum that came up on it's own. We have honey bees and bumble bees too. I want 7 apple trees my favorites plus a couple for pollinators. And 5 different sweet cherries. We cast out food plot clover under the fruit trees. I use the 3 main branch ufo pruning. 7 foot tall and 7 foot wide. I don't have grass I have ferns, blueberries, wild strawberries, moss, and clover. Consider the ferns and little red maples weeds. I don't eat fiddle heads. If I could sell red maple seedlings a 1$ a piece I would be rich.

[@rickershomesteadahobbyfarm3291]

My design is basically plant stuff as I get money and put it where it fits. I found out that some stuff won’t grow well in some parts of my property. I have places with heavy clay and some places with heavy sand. I have discovered so much diversity in my soil in 4 years. I didn’t realize that the soil could be so diverse in an 2-3 acre spot. I have 8 acres but I’m only using around an acre as my food forest. I have stuff growing by itself on other parts of my property though. I had alot of trouble growing stone fruits when they should be growing in my area. I had to find spots on my property where they would grow. I also figured out why they wouldn’t grow in certain areas. Keep a very detailed journal when you are planting. Document everything! You will figure out why certain things happen if you can go back into your journal and study your mistakes. I didn’t even get wood chips in until this year.

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Welcome to natures diversity, including soil diversity.

[@naghamhazim]

Do I have a garden or site? No. Did I ever think about gardening? Nope. Did I watch the entire video? Absolutely.

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Fantastic.

[@user-vt1xy5ts6h]

This is permaculture propaganda. People like lies.

[@yes12337]

Sometimes it's difficult to predict what will grow well in the area. This is first summer of my vegetable garden and I found it annoying that some plants just don't grow well, but others are just massive. Next year I'll focus more on stuff that grows well unsupervised, like zucchinis and pumpkins. Also some trees take years to bear fruit and I regret not planting it earlier. This autumn I'll plant a lot to not regret not doing it in the future 😅

[@chaveraoh]

I have ab 600sqm and 17 varieties of apple, 5 pears, 17 diff stone trees, multiple herbal trees that can overwinter, 4 fig trees, 1 almond, 1 kaki, 25 vines and losts more. I had to bring ab 120 TONS of soil, sand, manure to raise the ground, dig two ponds to gather water (now for 11 Indian runners running free style around 😅), etc. Etc. I still cannot grow many vegetables because the soil is too wet or my ducks find ways to eat the seedlings up, but I treat it as a learning process. My worst enemies are... my neighbours who devastated the soil with tons of building stuff (ab a meter deep) to raise the ground so their water waters me richly. Bur now that globalists are trying to warm us up the soil is more manageable, unless they flood us with excess rains. Much fun learning how to solve such issues, but worth the effort. I dream ab being able to have a large enough area to grow bamboo, banana trees, moringa, Cyprus trees and some other exotic plants, but I enjoy what I have. My trees are spaced ab 1-3m from one another in guilds. I love working there. Good luck in your efforts. Love from Poland 🇵🇱 ♥️

[@matiascastro957]

i love the how dad-core he is

[@ZaneMedia]

Hahaha 👍

[@MississippiHomesteadJourney]

I bought 40 acres of RAW land in southern Mississippi(Zone 8b) back in May. I've been planning on doing this for years and have over 20 fruit trees in containers waiting to be planted. I'm waiting for fall to plant them(learned that in an earlier video of yours) but need some fencing first(lots of critters including deer). I'm going to plant the trees and all of the guild plants at the same time too. I'm trying to figure out which nitrogen fixing trees to plant here in the deep south, besides mimosa which is considered an invasive species. Thanks for all that you do for the community. \Edit By the way there are hundreds if not thousands of wild blackberries and dewberries. Also lots and lots of huckleberries. So I guess that I'm going to try some domesticated blackberries in the plant guilds.

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Fantastic. Yes fall is best, fencing check out electric fence, especially double fence (3D fence). “Weedy” can be a great trait especially if you can prune heavy every year or two. Provides lots of mulch. Look at Geoff Lawtons desert property for pollard pruning low. Makes it easier to maintain, and safer than ladder pruning. “Weedy” blackberry or any fruit is great.

[@markdicksonauthor]

I'm in zone 7b in Texas. Dug swales on my open west-facing slope about 2-3 years ago and have planted over 50 fruit trees and shrubs, interplanted with winter squashes, watermelon, cantaloupes and okra. I used the varietals that are supposed to thrive in my area, 2-5 of each, and different cultivars of the same tree if possible. The main problem here is afternoon heat and sun exposure in the summer. I've lost a few of the trees and I'm babying others right now. The ones that survived last year are doing better this year. Try some Goumi bushes for nitrogen fixation while yielding delicious fruit. I had a few berries this first year and they were great. Redbud trees also may do well for you and are gorgeous in the spring. If you are planting in the fall, you may want to try also seeding rye grass in between to cover any bare ground over the winter and provide more nitrogen. I wish I had done that.

[@MississippiHomesteadJourney]

@@markdicksonauthor Good advice. I have a slight slope and wondering if I should do swales. After I get more land cleared I will decide. Never heard of Goumi bushes, will definitely look into those.

[@michaelgusovsky]

I just moved to new england, about to buy a property of a few acres and start planting. Will be starting from zero. Moving from Zone 9 California to zone 6 will be a big change - no more avocados and oranges! I was scouting the east providence bike trail yesterday for native plants, I've found: Black walnut Red mulberry Blackberry Wineberry Blueberry Black locust Honey locust Crabapple I plan to take cuttings of these and replant. I very much agree with you stefan, plant what grows like a weed - grow what wants to grow here, work with nature. Will also be looking to add apple, pear, cherry, plum, pawpaw, chestnut, hickory, currants, and maybe some hardy fig trees. Thanks for the great info and videos!

[@ppss.6302]

There are so many invasives outcompeting everything native, that weed advise is 100% worthless, one has to work hard not to let invasives to take over. Permadupes promoting pests like russian olive and such do not help.

[@fabricdragon]

if you have a nearby farmers market... make a point of looking at what sells, and what there is demand for. and if you want to ship, mail order or etc? consider investing in a freeze drier once you have produce... because pawpaws dont KEEP but are in high demand

[@michaelgusovsky]

@@fabricdragon thanks, I plan to check out famers markets. I'm not a big fan of freezing anything, though - there's a certain vitality that comes from fresh living food, versus frozen.

[@jennifferhurlburt642]

I missed your last video before it was deleted! Im not going to miss this one!

[@Marco-hb4pt]

why was it deleted?

[@creeksideranchllc4580]

@@Marco-hb4pt he made it for 4 days only then it was destined to be deleted

[@timbushell8640]

@@Marco-hb4pt It was a time limited offer ad video. As you have missed the offer it actually has 'zero' value now. These 17 points have lasting valve for all stages of your permaculture life.

[@skippyvsamy6768]

This video took so much information and simplified it so well I understand and now I'm excited for this fall

[@zacharyionel9625]

Thank you so much for this video. I really appreciate the advice for trios - thank you!

[@sebastiancioek5970]

Seed flowers under trees - many different flowers;-) It looks good and helps!

[@jonslaughter3369]

Getting ready to buy my land soon. Feel so blessed to have found your channel. Thank you for all this information…and humor to boot! Sat chit ananda. 🌱✌🏽❤️

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Wonderful! Lots to binge learn, with a smile.

[@ashleysovilla2037]

Your enthusiasm is always infectious! I just love your videos!

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Yay, thank you!

[@B30pt87]

For me, on my site, it's redwoods that grow like weeds. (I'm lucky, because apples are already growing here.)

[@nickdmartin]

I love your energy and way of thinking. Thank you for sharing your awesome knowledge.

[@StefanSobkowiak]

So nice of you

[@radharcanna]

What a great video Stefan. You obviously put a great deal of time, effort and love into making it. I don’t have an orchard yet but your enthusiasm makes me look forward to the day when I do.

[@StefanSobkowiak]

You can do it!

[@tamaralow446]

Thank you for an exceptional (in ALL ways) video! The wisdom you have gathered, and share is gold, and is deeply appreciated! You are so positive and encouraging! I am on year two of creating a food forest in my front and back yard in BC. Thank you, Stefan!

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Fantastic, I love that it’s back and front yard. Glad to help.

[@sebastiancioek5970]

I love freedom and independence, what a man need is food, shelter and LOVE! You can find it all in nature;-) Thank You very much!

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Well said!

[@nicevideomancanada]

I'm a New Director of our McKenzie Towne Counsel in the SE community of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. We have a bare field to start with and lots of volunteers are signing up with our new Facebook Page. I love your channel and I'm sharing many of your videos to let our members become acquainted with orchard/food forest growing. we're also going to be starting a community vegetable garden as well, so a complete community garden and food forest. What a wonderful channel to help us get started. Thanks Stefan.

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Look up and apply to the edible trees program from trees Canada. You are qualified for a $4,000 grant based based on your goal.

[@nicevideomancanada]

Awesome thanks for the reply Stefan@@StefanSobkowiak

[@oklahomesteader]

great video as always! Thank you!

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@midwestribeye7820]

I started apple, pear, plum, peach, and Pawpaw trees last spring from seeds. I only have a half acre lot, so I'm getting creative and planting some just inside forested areas, close to a trail or road. I hope they survive to bear fruit!

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Sounds great!

[@Ricosyard]

Excellent advice thank you for sharing your experience

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Naturalcrusader]

In the spring I’ll be starting a ton, transplanting barbless and if my herbs survive those also

[@carsonwieker]

Really great breakdown and info, thank you

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Glad it was helpful!

[@xaviercruz4763]

How many apples acre/hectare does a field taken care off like yours yield? Whats the distancing between trees and what height do you let them go? Since your trees are mixed with others and at better health than commercial monoculture, whats are the yields per acre of cherries 🍒 and peaches 🍑 and what frame of plantation? Thanks Stef!

[@DerrekWayne]

Great work!

[@albertkohne4405]

Haai I learned alot planted 300 appel trees from seed made my own types and planted it mix match over 2 hectars spacing is 12 feet apart and 4.5m wide rows learned alot I farm in Gobabis Namibia have 64acres greatings . I plan expanding it more in the future as a 19 year old farmer I learned alot from my mistakes .

[@midwestribeye7820]

That's amazing!

[@kyzmaztic]

Im only into my first year into this journey. Got a few citrus trees and blackberry bushes on clearance from local stores. I utilize the cardboard waste from my local recycling center for free weed management. Really the only "chemicals" i used this year were fertilizers for the vegetable garden. Was nice to see the spiders and wasps taking out most of the pests this year. The only problem I had were the one racoon eating the squash plants and the japanese beetles eating my blueberry bushes. I have my blueberries in containers so I moved them between the tomato plants. That tomato scent plus a beetle trap on the other side of the property really helped undermine their efforts to eat the shrubs. I appreciate all the knowledge you share with us, really gives me something to grow towards. (no pun intended)

[@sparky7915]

We adopted some raccoons last year. The farmer cut down the little bit of bush that was on his field. So I guess the raccoons had to move. They were getting into our garbage a bit - looking for food. But now we are feeding them peanuts - they love peanuts. I also give them wieners mixed in mashed potatoes or noodles. This keeps them out of other areas.

[@sarafriberg9689]

What a great video! Thanks!!!

[@StefanSobkowiak]

You are so welcome!

[@SC-fk9nc]

Great advice thanks!

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Glad it was helpful!

[@50sorrowC]

What grows like weeds? In our garden that is cherry trees! The birds have eaten and spread cherries and we have more than a dozen wild cherry trees : )

[@camicri4263]

Awesome thanks!🤗💕🤗 Blessings!

[@StefanSobkowiak]

You are so welcome

[@07negative56]

I’m in the Sierra Mountains in cali. Soil is clay. Hot as heck in the summer. 20’s in the winter. I’m stuck on design layout. The blackberries grow the easiest. There’s a bunch of juvenile oaks I’m been thinning.

[@wiezyczkowata]

will 4 meters between trees be enough and can I fit a berry bush in between them ? will the trees be OK if I plant them on a west boarder of my plot where there is basically only space I can plant them? in winters we got winds coming from west, I'm afraid it will be too cold for them,

[@jamesalanstephensmith7930]

Great stuff!

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@davidgillis3807]

I have the starting of an orchard already, my oldest trees are 3 years old, I got my first Asian pears last year. I know you suggested starting in the fall over spring, but seeing how I missed that window do you think planting a few trios this spring is a good idea or not or wait until fall? Or both? Thank you I love you channel and I’m half way through your movie!

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Just start. Spring is ok. Gotta start while you're still excited about it. Beat the iron while it's hot type of approach to life.

[@Dlrnckgoekwk]

What Trio do you recommend for a Mediterranean olive orchard (besides the olive trees). Mind you the olive needs stomping ground for harvest…? Thank you 🙏

[@TheEmbrio]

Creeping thyme, and lavender, you can put the cloth right on the lavender once you cut the flowers in july/august, and you should leave some space to walk to the trunk

[@Ellfman]

The diagram in the thumbnail reminds me of how my grandfather set up what he called his garden, but was what you call a permaculture food forest.

[@microsnook3]

Im in SW CO and just planted my first orchard. I have 10 trees. 2 peach, 2 apple, 2 pear, cherry, plum and apricot. Luckily I have irrigation. I only have my trees right now and want to add more and start a food forest and use permaculture. What is my next step? I planned to add mulch/wood chips in a big area around the trees either this summer or fall and let them sit over winter. Then I was planning to plant next spring. Is this too late or should I start planting more now? The idea is to build up the soil first with wood chips. I have my compost going and its doing well. Thanks for your videos and knowledge!

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Mulch is always a good idea, just keep going as time and resources are available.

[@StubbsMillingCo.]

Wonderful video Stefan!! I have a question about Fig trees, should I wait until Fall when it’s dormant to take cuttings from the Fig tree? Do I then apply it into soil and wait for it to put out roots to plant in Spring? I’m in Zone 8a.

[@StefanSobkowiak]

I’ve never grown figs but they’re easy to root cuttings, so take them anytime. Once roots form you can fall or spring plant.

[@StubbsMillingCo.]

@@StefanSobkowiak alright thank you sir!

[@22minus13]

You can put chilis they do great in young gardens

[@marceld8961]

I love your videos

[@LongislandnativeSanctuary]

Native perennials to help the pollinators is my aim as well

[@anomietoponymie2140]

I've got a very small garden, north facing garden of about 200 square meters. A wild plum tree decided to grow here. It is already about 8 feet tall. I'm thinking of grafting it. I don't know where I could find a scion. I've never done anything like this before but I remember my parents in California making plum jam for weeks and giving big bags of plums away. Now I'm in Burgundy, France, on a compacted clay soil high in calcium. Nettles and dandelions, raspberries, peonies, elder trees sprouting everywhere. I'm just starting to cultivate it but it's been such a rainy year, it's been hard. I'd like to learn from you.

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Lots to binge learn here as a starter. If you need more we put together a Masterclass which is announced in most recent videos.

[@blenderbenderguy]

This was really motivating and as I continue on my voyage in a similar direction I'm left wondering how to cope with my personal nemesis which thwarts my efforts to a high degree each year about this time. And that's Japanese beetles..... I've tried it all and outside of Sevin which I loathe to use, nothing works. Stefan, if have JB's how do you manage them? I just can't net everything. Thanks for your efforts and your wisdom!

[@drewsample9610]

I live in zone 7, North Carolina mountain valley. This is what I've observed over three years at this site. Also, I do not have established fruit trees yet, this is anecdotal at best and regards to my 1/8th acre vegetable garden. Japanese Beetles love evening primrose. the first year I had no primrose, the scarabs ate my okra, and nibbled on others. The second year a single wild primrose entered my site on the wind. The beetles flocked to the primrose and nearly none other. This year has been a little more of a a mixed bag so far. The scarabs still prefer the primrose over most things, but they've also been munching on the elder. Given that the scarabs overwinter, I've been working under Joseph Lofthouse's perennial pest management strategies wherein you provide food that your pests will prefer over your crops, cull pests that prefer your crops, and also cull any crops that consistently attract pests. Last year I did a similar trial with Leaf-footed bugs, who generally preferred my tomatillos. That was fine, I didn't mind it. the Tomatillos all grew like gangbusters regardless. Any Leaf-foot bug seen on a Capsicum plant however was swiftly slain, as they would ruin entire peppers and weaken the plants. I hope someone finds this useful.

[@blenderbenderguy]

@@drewsample9610 My experience with JB's in zone 6 western PA. is that they change up their preferences from day to day, so a trap crop hasn't worked for me. They just continually move onto something else though they always enjoy Comfrey and whatever fruit trees I've got growing. It baffles me that there is next to nothing that predates on them. JB's and ticks...... what was God thinking 🤔

[@jenbear8652]

@@blenderbenderguy I’ve noticed the same thing. Most years they love my climbing roses. But a few years ago I noticed lacy leaves falling midsummer from my large linden tree. When I looked closely to see what was going on-it was Japanese beetles! But they haven’t done that since. Kinda makes me think of the cicada cycles. Maybe they’re varieties that have different life cycles of bad years of them?

[@teresa9613]

I'm in Zone 4B, and they are devastating. I take a bucket of soapy water and knock them into it several times a day. I kill hundreds each time, but its like a full time job. I've planted hundreds of white geraniums, and while it does work, I've yet to figure out how to incorporate it with my grapes. Beans, roses, grapes, apples, plums, peaches, zinnias, are really hard hit by them. Except for roses (they destroy the blossoms and flowers) they actually decimate the leaves into skeleton leaves, but leave the fruit alone. I'm grateful for that. Now a new invasive species that has just entered our state, the Spotted Lantern Fly, is even worse, as they decimate the fruit, too, and destroy even plants the JB left alone, like tomatoes. I feel now control focus needs to be on the Spotted Lantern. I used to feel bad at how ugly the JB's made my garden look, but at least they left me food and didn't starve me out!

[@maplenook]

How about a review on edging options? I want to use tree branches or logs

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Use them.

[@albanoeira1203]

gosto muito dos teus videos , um abraço .

[@DomainedeMonplaisir-tr9bi]

Bonjour Stefan, Est-ce que le lactosérum fonctionne pour toutes les maladies fongiques ? En particulier contre la cloque du pêcher ? Merci par avance pour votre réponse. DDM

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Fort probable. Je n’ai jamais essayé pour la cloque mais étant une maladie fongique ça devrait

[@timbushell8640]

Excellent summary... thank you for these videos.

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Glad you like them!

[@dustyflats3832]

Started an orchard last year. Fenced it all in because wildlife would kill everything. We have sandy soil that was disturbed by past owners, a desert like microclimate and we get late freak spring frosts as we are in low area. Two miles away I could grow peach trees like crazy and here they die. It’s just too hot and dry. So I planted dwarf apples last year about 4’ apart because I wanted to train in columnar fashion and this year they sell them. So was wondering if I should pull every other one out and replant farther away. Honey berries and raspberries seem to do well especially after we installed drip irrigation this year. I tied to grow some vining crops but was a bit late with irrigation and think they suffered. This spring I planted some bare root of plums, hazelnuts and elderberries. Lost a hazelnut and a peach Again. I don’t know how to get them all enough shade unless I put shade fabric over them as nothing really takes off except the Black Magic blackberry. However, the climate heated up way too early this year and broke dormancy and the late frost killed a grape and knocked a bunch of plants back. Locally winery lost grapes and they are higher up. We are lucky we found 3 arborist that will keep loads of chips coming until we have no place left. There is just no top soil or structure and the normal dust is much worse this year with drought. I mowed once this year as it’s so dry. The shade fabric and drip irrigation has helped a lot along with mulch. Plants are expensive to only find out they won’t make it here and was hoping some blueberries and honey berries would grow enough that I could propagate, but not a lot of growth this year. My other problem is a neighbor’s property has a couple black walnut trees and it’s driving me crazy to keep them out of my acreage and the tree is loaded this year.🙄 Cedars, Asian elms, oaks And the dumb black walnuts grow better than weeds here. I guess I will just keep spreading bark and hope for the best. Extreme drought, Z5a, WI.

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Low spots are the pits especially for drought. Once trees are well established there is a bit of a microclimate effect that happens. Finding what grows well can be from what you plant or from what neighbours grow. Sandy soil has it’s challenges but is a real blessing in a wet year, as long as you have irrigation. Use all the wood chips you can apply as it’s gold for the sand. Your in a warmer zone than i am.

[@jacobstowe5049]

Does one plant trees on contour if the ground barely has slope?

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Are you looking to swale? If so yes, otherwise not.

[@tamaraverhagen-doets1686]

I'm binging your videos, but getting a bit overwhelmed. I'm designing a small part of our land, using your method. I'm just struggling with measurements. I'm putting in mostly small trees, dwarf apple/pear/plum/cherry/peach, I've grafted most myself last spring. Small trees so I can put in more diversity and easy picking. I'm using the goumi and umbellata, seaberry, Aldur (i think you call it that), 1 Redbud, and 1 Albizia julissin (because they're so pretty!) for Nitrogenfixers. I'm planning on 1.30m pathway, 1.20m trio row, 1.30m path and 1.20m raspberry/blackberry/japanese wineberry (until the trees grow big enough). What do you think about these measurements? The plot for planting this time is about 400m2. Thanks so much for all your information, I really REALLY enjoy your videos!

[@StefanSobkowiak]

I like to say ´when in doubt, space them out’. Seems tight, I would not use less than 2 m in the path or you may be constantly ducking under branches. It’s great if your trees don’t touch when mature. Key is knowing the size when mature. You won’t regret they are too far but will if too tight. Keep it up your on the right track.

[@webguyz1]

Can you explain a bit more what goes into edge maintenance and reducing common issues with it?

[@StefanSobkowiak]

An edge is anywhere two different use areas meet. Where our grassy aisles meet the plantings under the trees is an edge. Think of plants to use on the edge that make it easy to maintain (daylily, hosta,...) we also employ permanent plastic mulch for several kms of edge so we can easily mow that edge.

[@samhughes3527]

"Hello! I'm currently planning a permaculture orchard and I'm looking for advice on planting berries with a rotation system to avoid replant problems. I know that berries don't have the same lifespan as apple or plum trees, so I'm concerned about potential disease issues. Could you provide insights on which berry varieties can be rotated effectively to minimize replant problems and maintain the long-term health of the orchard? Any tips or recommendations for implementing a successful rotation system with berries would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!"

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Replant issues in berries are only a problem if you replant the same species in the same spot in the same year, often due to nematodes. Use an indicator plant like an annual vegetable, flower or annual grass like sorghum sudangrass that you plant everywhere you pull out a dead berry bush and replant another species of berry in that spot. Ideally give it a few years with these plants to act as a plant rotation.

[@SeekingBeautifulDesign]

There's been a lot of contradicting information as to whether honey locust fixes nitrogen. Do you have confirmation that it does?

[@StefanSobkowiak]

It does like many species by a different pathway not the modulation pathway like clover. It works with Frankia bacteria and has small white bumps all along the roots.

[@mzarakis]

I am from Greek island. Here the climate conditions are very dry and very windy. Which is the strategy or tactic, tha i follow to create a permaculture orchard like yours. Thank you and congratulations!

[@jenbear8652]

I’ve read of people starting permaculture food forests in the desert. They started with just a few trees (or a couple) that they could faithfully irrigate a few years to get them well established. Once those trees were established, they’d created some shade that other plants could grow more easily. And gradually expand from there. And use a lot of mulch to prevent soil drying out!

[@TheEmbrio]

Look at local (old) wisdom for your climate. Rock walls, rock circles around crops, even some vines were grown in ’pockets’ of walls... Line the walls with windvreak hardy plants... amend the soil with organic matter. Once it gets better put in more demanding plants.

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Hold every drop of rain that falls on your property. Use swales, ponds and all the mulch you can get to make your landscape hold more water. It will also reduce the fire risk. Look up Geoff Lawtons discover permaculture channel and look at what and how he’s taken a hyper arid area (the Jordan valley site) and made it lush.

[@edmourgagnon1504]

Stefan. J'ai besoin de toi... Que puis-je dire, comment convaincre à mon voisin au Guatémala de cesser d'utiliser des herbicides lorsque pousse son maïs... C'est tellement triste... Et tout près, il y a une petite rivière d'une eau cristalline... Merci. Bonne journée!

[@pattifloyd2439]

Have you talked about the impact of deer? Rabbits? Any suggestions are appreciated!

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Yes both, see plant this first video for fencing and a couple on voles and rabbit tree guards.

[@jillianm]

Would citrus trees be planted in trios too?

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Sure they don’t grow in monocultures in the wild so why not in your yard.

[@jillianm]

Thank you

[@MsCaterific]

🧡

[@dcla6003]

Why the nest boxes? Birds as allies? I get bees and insects but I'm confused about the birds.

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Birds are great at controlling caterpillars in the orchard. To them it's not pest, it's food. They are the primary predators of pest insects in the spring while they are raising their young.

[@22minus13]

What if you love it all

[@kmvii]

❤❤❤❤❤

[@sillililli01]

It's All About The Biology

[@DomainedeMonplaisir-tr9bi]

Bonsoir, avez-vous un mail où je pourrais vous contacter ? Je suis en train de créer un verger permacole d'arbres inhabituels en agriculture. Je cherche la qualité gustative et la résistance aux maladies. Pourrions-nous échanger ? Merci par avance. Ps. J'adore vos vidéos en français, je ne suis pas bilingue hélas. DDM.

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Voir un de mes sites web pour contact.

[@categoricallybiased1673]

"You want the weed on your land" ....based 😁

[@22minus13]

So basically you can make trails

[@dantheman9135]

Crush on

[@user-vt1xy5ts6h]

1)Why you use word permaculture? Farmers hate it. Permaculture forest garden of Martin Crowford looks different. You still have lazy organic garden, and most methods used by standard farmers. 2)People who like permaculture are usually hippies who don't like to work. Peasants work for centuries and don't ask yourselves do they like it or not.)) 3)Soil can be brought now. Mulch is more important that soil. Many forests grow without soil. 4)Cherries also spreading like weeds in my country but still heavily damaged by fungis and frosts so still need a lot of care. 5)If you want big market garden, and you don't have money for seedlings, so where you get money for everything else - transporting, packaging, marketing.. etc? Farmers have money for seedlings and don't have time for nurseries. 6)If wild trees can't grow on field, it can mean that it doesn't have enough of something so it's not good idea to plant trees there. 7)Allowing people in garden can be dangerous. If they damage fruit buds while harvesting you will not harvest next year. It's main reason of frequency of fruiting which you also have. 8)Why you need this complex design? Permaculture design is not based on science or productivity. Fukuoka used much easier desing and still get normal harvest. Many people use permadesign ang getting no harvest.(( 9)Shrubs under and around trees give very little yield and steal nutrients from trees which do not grow well cos of it. Fukuoka and other farmers use groundcovers which is better. 10)Pruning and training are sadism.)) Fukuoka never did it.

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Permaculture is still in early experimental phase, it will mature. Not just for hippies.

[@Ultimatefitness360]

What should be direction to plant trees ??

[@StefanSobkowiak]

North south of possible

[@shannongogal8840]

I have the exact same coveralls LOL