Fruit trees going into the agroforestry field

This winter we are planting out our newest agroforestry field in multiple stages. A field to integrate fruit crops, reforestation and sheep pasture. This week we planted in 54 fruit trees into the agroforest along swale lines. Have a read about the stages we have completed and what we have left.

We have planted the fruit tree layer into the agroforestry field:

• 8 different types of almonds (Donated by George Pepper)
• 10 different types of Apples (Thierry Lustenberger)
• 8 different types of plumbs (Severin)
• 7 different types of cherries (Thierry Lustenberger)
• 1 Fig (Michael BiBi),
• 1 Apricot (Roman)
• 1 mulberry (Thierry Lustenberger)
• 1 Hazel tree (George Pepper) +  1 more to plant

Please check out the last blogs on agroforestry to see more about this field and our silvopasture field we have also planted out.

In the last year, we have prepared the field by:

1. Fencing the field to protect it from sheep, we have run irrigation pipes to the field
2. We have used pigs to seal the pond that we dug in that field to harvest clay for building
3. Dug 4 swales on contour across the field
4. Planted cover crops
5. Used the pigs to plough the field
6. Planted cover crops in the freshly ploughed field

On the 13th of November, we have planted the first row of trees. This is a diverse row of trees, most which grow big to put shade onto the adjacent road that we often walk along. This is to try and make it more comfortable walking around in the summer. Click here to find our more about these trees

On the 1st December, we planted over 50 fruit trees in the field along swales

Next steps in this new agroforestry system

• Plant some nitrogen-fixing and nurse trees.
• Plant fodder trees for sheep
• Plant a windbreak with an understory hedge
• Plant trees around the pond
• Plant cover crops to be used to hay as ally crops. Thank you to our pig for tilling this soil so we can do this
• Plant grape vines along the swales between the trees
• Plant perennial vegetables and herbs next to each tree to make use of the drip lines
• Pant pumpkin seeds by each tree, this is so we can grow pumpkins but also the pumpkin leaves will tell us how wet or dry the soil is around the trees
• Finish installing the irrigation

Please help us please help by donating to our reforestation program.

If you want to learn about agroforestry then please do join us as an intern or take a look at our other agroforestry blogs.

Please help us please help by donating to our reforestation program.