permaculture

["Rene and Lorraine van Raders" <rvraders@tpgi.com.au>]

 Heres some thoughts.. not necessarily correct


> I am looking for some permaculture information pertaining to deciduous
> (stone) fruit trees.  We have a mix of apricots, plums, peaches, 
> nectarines,
> pluots, apples, and Asian pears coming soon.  I have three areas of 
> inquiry:
> 
> 1.  On our soil, I think we can dry farm (or nearly so) the stone fruit
> orchard we have planned.  Any thoughts?

We are growing them dry with 1600mm (this falls as summer rain on a very
free draining soil, and we have 3-4 months with little or no rain).   What
do you call dry?
Try it and see, with seedlings perhaps.  If they don't do well without
irrigation, then other species may be a better option for the main crop. 
(For best results, plant at the beginning of the wettest season, if other
factors such as frost are not a major consideration.)
> 
> 2.  I'm looking for low or no pruning methods for the culture of these
> trees.  Conventional practice requires heavy, detailed pruning annually. 

> Is
> there a permaculture alternative to this approach?  Why is it that some
> "abandoned" fruit trees bear so much nice fruit?

Pruning is done to preserve tree structure (cutting out dead wood, new
leaders, rubbing branches), or to increase yield.  Grafted trees often
don't survive well without some pruning for structure at least.  Seedling
trees should thrive (although quality, speed of production and yield may be
down).  What about managing some intensively (those close to house) and
letting others grow "wild".  Reduced pruning may see reduced yields but the
trees should last longer. 
> 
> 3.  Tree spacing and patterns.  Most orchards are set out in neat, 
> straight
> rows.  At home, I've always grown trees, herbs, and vegetables in 
> groups, or
> blocks, or other patterns to fit the landscape.  Is this feasible on a
> larger scale?  Also, is there an advantage to having a "fruit forest"
> pattern, with canopy cover over most of the soil, as opposed to open 
> strips
> between rows?

"Global Gardener" video has a temperate forest garden featured (Robert
Hart's).
Permaculture UK has also produced a more detailed look at his garden (video
and book   "Forest Gardening")

Neat rows are convenient for harvest and maintenance, but aren't very
aesthetic, nor earth friendly.  Certainly other patterns will work, but
they will do better with careful design to ensure harvest and maintenance
are still easy.  Most trees are affected by competion (bare ground can
increase yields... however the down sides are many).  A forest garden will
usually show reduced yields of your main crop, offset by other yields. 
However a field planted with companions ( a few species selected to work
well with your main crop) should not impact negatively on the crop, and
also provide additonal yields.

Look to the pattern of nature in your area (spacings etc) and from the area
the crop originally comes from.

Cheers Rene and Lorraine
>From Far North Queensland, Australia









> 
> Any references or thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
> 
> Best wishes,
> Rob
> 
> 
> 
> 
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