Reveal of my 1st Mini Food Forests - Planted!
Plus spring flowers in bloom in my Med Garden - Tips & Tricks!
In February I attended a Biggest Mini Food Forest workshop at the Orchard of Flavours in Tavira Portugal. It was an eye opening and inspiring experience learning about their approach to sustainable and regenerative agriculture - completely applicable to home food gardens in the Med. More on the approach in my blog: How to Create a Mini Food Forest in your Mediterranean Garden!
Dreaming of turning my Med Garden into a a lush tropical oasis of edibles, I was immediately motivated to get started. I selected 4 sites in my Garden for my Mini Food Forests. I have now fully planted 2 of the 4. In this blog I share what I’ve learned so far.
Plus new tips and tricks I am trying out in my flower gardens - DIY-ing my own fully organic home-made fertilisers and pesticides - hoping for my most abundant show of flowers this season!
My Summer 2024 Mini Food Forest Blockbusters - In the Making...
The Storyline - My Mini Food Forest Objective
I chose the sites for my Mini Food Forests with the objective to regenerate the soil around some fruit trees that I had planted last year - that unfortunately were suffering in the poor soil in my garden (that sits on a mountain of rock).
When I learned about the Biggest Mini Food Forest approach, I thought to myself, perhaps I can save my struggling fruit trees and create a new forest of food at the same time! A spot for the veg gardens I was planning.
Pre-Production - Preparing the Soil
The experts from the Biggest Mini Food Forest and Orchard of Flavours recommend digging a 2mx2m site 1 metre deep to fill with a rich soil cocktail. When I asked if 1 metre deep was absolutely necessary, they shared that they have also seen mini food forests do well with a 50cm depth.
In my garden, with all of the rock, this would require a digger machine. However, the sites I chose already have existing trees, and so a digger machine was out of the question. I would have to dig it myself around the existing trees.
I diligently, from what I learned in the Biggest Mini Food Forest workshop, took to my sites with the recommended garden tools to dig it myself. There was no way I was going to be able to chip away at the rock 1 metre deep. So, I decided to innovate.
I managed to dig down 20cm in two of my selected sites. I took advantage of a sloping landscape, and lined the sites with 30cm height wooden garden fences to add another 30cm on top of the 20cm I dug out. With this innovation, I have achieved a 50cm depth for the rich soil cocktail. My solution: A combo 20cm dig with 30cm raised bed on top. It is an experiment, but I was pretty proud of myself - (strong arm emojis...)
The Cast - Fruit Tree Forest
I have now planted two Mini Food Forests in My Med Garden! Here are the plants I chose and why.
The sites I chose have the best sun exposure on my property (south-west), and protection from the high winds that can come from the north-east.
The Biggest Mini Food Forest approach recommends planting your fruit trees in the middle of the 2x2 square, randomly, and with dense proximity - taking care to plan ahead for eventual mature tree heights to ensure optimal exposure to the sun for all plants in the forest.
Mini Food Forest 1 (2m x 3m)
The existing fruit tree I am trying to save in my Mini Food Forest 1 is an avocado tree surrounded by 3 olive trees and a fig tree at the north and east sides.
I chose to surround the suffering avocado tree (HASS) with another avocado tree (BACON) for pollination; a Valencia orange tree, and a lime tree. Plus two Brazilian cherry (Eugenia) tree cuttings that I purchased from the Orchard of Flavours after the workshop.
I put the Valencia orange tree in the middle, anticipating that it will grow the tallest. Avocado and lime trees on opposite sides of the orange tree. Finally the Brazilian cherry tree cuttings in front, as they will be small trees / shrubs.
Mini Food Forest 2 (2m x 4m)
The existing fruit tree I am trying to save in my Mini Food Forest 2 is a Valencia orange tree with an olive tree and a fig tree at the north side.
I chose to surround the suffering Valencia orange tree with an avocado tree (HASS), two more orange trees (Clementine and Japanese Yuzu), two lime trees, and two more Brazilian cherry (Eugenia) tree cuttings - as this site is a little bigger.
I placed the avocado tree on the highest elevation of the slope at the south east to ensure that it is not shaded by the Valencia orange tree. I placed the Clementine and Yuzu orange trees with the Brazilian cherry tree cuttings at the direct south and in front of the Valencia orange tree - as they will be smaller trees and shrubs. I placed the two lime trees in front on the Valencia orange tree at the south west, they will also be smaller trees.
Supporting Roles - Veg Wall
Just after planting my new fruit trees in early March, the weather turned cooler in the Med. Then we had a sand storm from the Sahara, followed by a week of rain and storms. So I decided to wait to plant my veg until the weather warmed up.
In early April the outlook for warmer weather looked good, and so I set out to buy my veg plant seedlings to add to my Mini Food Forests.
From the selection at the nursery, I chose:
Mini Food Forest 1
Broccoli, Cucumber, Red Capsicum Peppers, Zucchini, and Leeks.
I lined the north side of the food forest with broccoli and leeks. As broccoli is a cooler climate veg, my thinking was to give it some shade from the existing olive tree, and less sun exposure than the veg that will be at the direct south and west.
I placed the the red capsicum peppers at the south for maximum hours of hot sun exposure, and the zucchini at the west side, for that hot afternoon sun exposure. The cucumber I actually dispersed in between the fruit trees for this season while the trees are small - I learned in my companion planting research that cucumbers are a good companion for citrus.
Finally, I scattered some red lentils throughout the forest for the purpose of adding nutrients to the soil.
Mini Food Forest 2
Pineapple, Peppers, Zucchini, Cucumber, Leeks and Oregano.
I found a small Pineapple plant in the nursery - which I had never seen before - and therefore had to try it! I placed it in a feature spot at the north west side where the north side is slightly elevated, and to receive the full hot afternoon sun from the west.
I placed the peppers and leeks with the avocado tree - quite randomly - although chosen as there is a particularly deep amount of soil there for the leeks grow underground. I placed more peppers and zucchini along the south facing side. As with Mini Food Forest 1, I dispersed the cucumber in between the fruit trees for this season while the trees are small. Finally I added some herb plants, oregano, to my Mini Food Forest 2 - as I had some additional space in this larger plot - and for the purpose of pest control.
I would also like to try tomatoes, and have them planned for Mini Food Forests 3 & 4 coming soon…
Companion Planting
The Miyawaki Method and Syntropic Agriculture approaches applied by the Biggest Mini Food Forest, recommend random planting. Which I have applied, with some adds for companion planting innovations.
I am quite intrigued by companion planting; the veg that provide services to each other. Companion planting benefits include: pest control, attracting pollinators, improving soil fertility, and weed suppression.
In my Mini Food Forests I took the advice of companion planting articles when designing the planting of my veg:
Leeks with broccoli and peppers to keep away pests
Oregano with zucchini to deter pests
Cucumbers with citrus
Lentils for soil fertility and weed suppression
A good source for starting out with companion planting references is the Almanac website.
Family Meal - Organic Fertilising
In the Biggest Mini Food Forest workshop, one of my key take-aways was to think of your newly planted food forests like a nursery in the first few years. Young plants need regular feeding and watering.
I added organic fertiliser pellets to my Mini Food Forests on planting day, I have been applying a schedule of feeding with organic fertiliser pellets every two weeks in their first year.
I have also been learning about the benefits of adding brown sugar water DIY home-made fertiliser to veg gardens - see Section below: DIY organic fertilisers and pesticides.
Watering - Trial & Error
It turns out that finding the right watering systems for my Mini Food Forests has been an art and a science.
The Biggest Mini Food Forest workshop recommended rain mimicking watering systems that provide a daily mist the the forest (at night or early morning). I bought this system from Gardenia for my Mini Forest 1, and it is working quite well for the smaller area.
My Mini Food Forest 2, a little bigger and a rectangular shape vs. Square, has been a little more challenging.
I started with the recommended Rain Bird system to provide that rain mimicking effect and to cover more of the space. However, I am finding that even after trying all of the different spout options, the force of the water is still quite strong, and has prematurely knocked the flowers off of some of my young fruit trees. This may not be a problem in the end, but a little worrying at the moment. In addition the rotating spray doesn’t reach the full garden, and I end up watering the dry bits myself each morning with a hose. This won’t be sustainable all summer long.
I am considering getting two more of the Gardenia misting pods that are working well in my Mini Food Forest 1 - to cover the area fully and be a little gentler on my young plants. This will require some re-working of my water lines and so is taking a little more time to sort it out.
Pest Protection - A New Challenge
When I completed the planting of my new Mini Food Forests last weekend I immediately invited some friends over to show them off!
I was hardly containing my glee while sharing with them my process. Proudly showcasing my new plant babies, and very satisfied with all of the new growth on my Valencia orange tree, now much happier in her new soil, when… My friend, noticed some curling leaves on my Valencia orange tree. We looked at the back side and noticed an army of tiny bugs the same colour as the leaves - almost invisible to the naked eye.
My heart sank. Oh no! Just as she was starting to spread her wings!
Two days later, when making my morning tour of my food forests, I noticed several holes in the leaves of one of my avocado trees - and some yellowing of my zucchini plants’ leaves.
What’s eating Gilbert Grape? I realised that there is much more to learn about pest and disease control in the Food Forest.
Determined to avoid chemical insecticide sprays, I have been doing some research. I have found three possible DIY approaches that claim to prevent and treat pests and disease:
Baking soda diluted in water to spray on the plants
Laundry soap diluted in water to spray on the plants
Orange peels fermented in water over night to water into the soil around the plants
I’ve decided to start my treatment of my new plant babies with the baking soda water spray on the plants, which I have started immediately. Plus orange peels diluted in water to add to the soil - once I have enough orange peels (I’ll be having fresh orange juice every morning this week!)
I will save the laundry detergent water after I see if steps 1 & 2 are working.
Meanwhile, across the Garden, spring flowers are starting to bloom!
4+ Tips & Tricks to Maximise Spring Flower Blooms
with DIY organic fertilisers and pesticides
I follow many home gardeners on Instagram. Fellow plant lovers from across the www have many interesting ideas to share. Here are a few that caught my eye, and that I am trying out in my Med Garden.
#1 For abundant flowering - add rice, baking soda, and vinegar to water.
I absolutely love the Bougainvillea in my garden. They are the longest bloomers, extremely showy, and the focal points of many areas of my Med Garden. The Bougies that are planted in the ground are doing brilliantly. The ones in pots lost all of their leaves over the winter and I was fearful that I had killed them.
I learned of a trick for fast blooming Bougainvillea on Instagram: Add a tablespoon of rice, a tablespoon of baking soda, and two squirts of vinegar to 2 litres of water and spray on bougainvillea for two days in a row.
It is working perfectly. I now have an abundance of new leaf shoots on my Bougies in pots.
#2 To support root growth - add brown sugar, baking soda, and vinegar to water - you can also add beer.
Add a tablespoon of brown sugar, a tablespoon of baking soda, and two squirts of vinegar to 2 litres of water and apply to the soil.
#3 To prevent yellow leaf spots and support healthy green leaf growth - add brown sugar to water with a little vinegar.
Add a tablespoon of brown sugar, and two squirts of vinegar to 2 litres of water and spray on leaves. Within 3-7 days spots should disappear.
#4 To prevent pests and disease
Orange peels diluted in water and applied to the soil is an insecticide
Ground cinnamon sprinkled around veg plants repels ants
Laundry soap diluted in water can be sprayed on plants to repel insects
Sunflower oil on fabric tied around the trunk of trees repels insects
Beer in a small shallow cup traps slugs
Hair from pets around plants repels rodents
I am so happy to share my Mini Food Forest and Spring Flower Garden 2024 progress!
Let me know if you have any tips and tricks for managing pests and disease - my new challenge to conquer! Add your tips to the comments below.
Also share your DIY plant care remedies - I’m eager to learn more!
Watching my plants grow…
Jade
Lewon
Med
Wow! You are an inspiration!😃