Margie write :
“ You always say that we can implant a nutrient wood ‘ anywhere ’ but I still have trouble with almost any ‘ food trees ’ except for mulberries . I live in Tucson , AZ and the ‘ territory ’ on my property is mostly caliche which is another Book for concrete . We have to practice a pickax to dig holes for trees and even the “ easy to grow fruit trees ” rarely make it here except those amazing mulberry tree . Would mulch over cardboard or just plain mulch ( I have two huge cumulation of wood microprocessor chip from a chip drop ( mostly mesquite and palo verde check ) work by themselves or would cardboard make it dependable to help keep the Mary Jane to a minimum ? The pile of french fries has grown some big fat grub , which the roadrunners love . Would I also get worm ? ”
When I say you’re able to plant a food forest “ anywhere , ” I do n’t entail it quite universally . If you live on the Antarctic Ice Shelf , you ’re in all probability out of luck . But Tucson ? Sure , you may grow a nutrient forest .
A clue to success is already in her e-mail .
“ … and even the “ easiest to farm fruit Tree ” rarely make it here except those amazing mulberry tree . ”
Ah - ha , there is a successful tree already there .
Though it ’s not an easy mood due to the crushed rain ( Tucson gets about 11″ of pelting a year ) , it ’s not unsufferable . Some Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree grow there , which means the key is figuring out how to find the best for her land , and to improve the land so it can grow a wide variety .
In the first few class of my North Florida nutrient forest , we struggled to keep our trees happy . After we got a thick level of mulch down that started composting , and take more plants live in the soil , new tree and plant did better as soon as they were planted – much good than the first ones we put in . The dirt was alive .
Plant muckle of trees and see what lives , concentrating in particular on scrappy biomass producers and nitrogen - fixers to start with . And that mulch is great , too . If you transfer all the weeds first , you do n’t require cardboard . But if you have tenacious weeds , I would put down cardboard first , then mulch over it .
As for desert nutrient woodland and biomass , Geoff Lawton shares some brainchild here :
I would also look around your orbit for other gardeners and link up with them . YouTubers , as well :
Here ’s a Tucson gardener :
And another :
And here ’s one in Glendale :
If you put down those wood chips , yes , you should get some worms of various eccentric if they are anywhere near you . You could add them as well , via visiting a sweetener shop .
Good fortune !
If you desire to interact with other gardeners and see the new food forest course , comejoin our young Survival Gardener Community . There are multiple desert gardeners there already .
