Table Of ContentEDIBLE FOREST
GARDENS
EDIBLE FOREST
GARDENS
VOLUME TWO
@ Q)
Ecological Design and Practice
for Temperate-Climate Permaculture
DAVEJACKE
with Eric Toensmeier
CHELSEA GREEN PUBLISHINGCOMPANY
WHITE RIVERJUNCTION,VERMONT'
The field research for, and writingof,portions ofthis manuscriptwere undertaken under the auspicesofthe New EnglandSmall
FarmInstitute,Inc., Belchertown,:Massachusetts.
Copyright©2005 DaveJacke and EricToensmeier.All rights reserved.
Unlessotherwisenoted,allillustrationsarecopyright©ElayneSears.Allrights reserved.Nopartofthisbookmaybetransmitted
in anyform byany means without permission in writingfrom the publisher.
Disclaimer:The authors ofthis book have made everyeffort to ensure that the information presented herein is accurate, up-to-.
date, and truthful, and to warn readers ofpossible problems thatvarious plants or ideas maycause. However, neither the authors
nor the publishers assume any responsibility for the reader's use ofthe information presented.Though all the plants and mush
rooms described as edible or medicinal in this bookare documented as such,itis impossible to foresee all the complications that
may arise due to plant or mushroom variability, individual circumstances, and the health status ofparticularreaders. Neither the
authors nor the publisherare responsible for any allergic reactions or othercomplications that may arise from the reader's use of
these plantsand mushrooms. Readersshould observeflrst-try protocolsas described in appendix 1. Furthermore,this bookis not
intended toactasafield guide toedible,medicinal,orornamentalplantsormushrooms.Thereaderisresponsibleforverif)Iingthe
edibilityand safe use ofany plantor mushroom he orshe maychoose to eator otherwise use based on the information provided
herein. Dataon medicinal herbs is provided for information only.Medicinal herbsshould beused onlyunder thesupervisionofa
qualified health care professional.
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LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-Publication Data
Jacke,Dave.
Edible forest gardens/ DaveJacke with EricToensmeier.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical referencesand index.
ISBN 1-931498-80-6
1. Edibleforest gardens. 2. Edible forest gardens-North America. I.
Toensmeier,Eric.II.Title.
SB454.3.E35J242005
635'.0915'2-dc22
2004029745
Chelsea Green PublishingCompany
Post OfficeBox428
White RiverJunction,Vermont05001
(800) 639-4099
www.chelseagreen.com
To the herbaceous understory,
and
to the designer and forest dweller in all ofus.
EdibleForest Gardens is complete in two volumes. Volume One:
Ecological Vision andTheoryfor Temperate Climate Permaculture
offers a holistic vision for forest gardening and explains the
underlying ecological principles. Volume Two:EcologicalDesign
andPracticefor Temperate ClimatePermaculturecovers the prac
tical considerations of forest gardening, including design,
maintenance, and auniquelyvaluable "plant matrix"describing
hundreds ofedible and useful species.
Volume One, ISBN 1-931498-79-2, $75
VolumeTwo, ISBN 1-931498-80-6, $75
Volumes One and Two as a Set, ISBN 1-890132-60-8, $150
www.chelseagreen.com
802-295-6300
CONTENTS
List ofWorksheets,Tables, and Figures IX Integrating the Four Realms and the
Preface xv 'Four Stages 248
Design Phase How-To 249
INTRODUCTION:A FORESTGARDENER'STOOLKIT.. 1
FeatureArticle3:Ground-CoverPolyeultures 292
1:ISSUES AND STRATEGIES IN FOREST GARDEN Chapter Summary :..312
DESIGN AND MANAGEMENT 5
5:SITEPREPARATION 314
Design Elements : 8
Site Preparation 314
EcosystemDynamics 14
A Rogue's Gallery ofChallenging Site
FeatureArticle1:
Conditions 318
BeneficialWildlifeHabitatPrinciples 28
A Hero's GalleryofSite-Prep Strategies
Desired Conditions .48
andTechniques 331
Summary 60
FeatureArticle4:Mulch 352
2:A FOREST GARDEN PATTERNLANGUAGE 63 Chapter Summary 368
WhatIs aPattern Language? 64
6: GARDEN ESTABLISHMENT 371
A Forest Garden Pattern Language 68
of The Order ofEvents 372
Box2.1:The OakBeams New
Staking Out 372
College, Oxford 115
Acquiring Plants 376
3:DESIGNPROCESSES r: OVERVlEW,GOALS, OrganizingTools,Materials, and Helpers 383
ANDASSESSMENTS 141 PlantingDay 387
Design ProcessOverview 142 Aftercare: Proactive Plant Establishment .409
ClearIntentions: ArticulatingYour Gardening
Goals 146 7:MANAGEMENT,MAINTENANCE,AND
COEVOLUTION 413
Basic Mappingfor Landscape Design 165
Tools oftheTrade .414
SiteAnalysis and Assessment 182
Management .416
FeatureArticle2:ReadingYourSoilHorizons 216
Grunt Labor and Its Fruits: Maintenance
Chapter Summary 228
and Harvesting .426
Box3.1:DesigningYourDesign Process 144
of Coevolution:The Future ofForest
Box3.2:Tools theDesigner's Trade 167
Gardening .440
Box3.3:BubbleDiagramming 189
of
Box3.4:The Scale Permanence 193 EPILOGUE:A STORYOF ROBERT 451
4:DESIGNPROCESSES Z:THEDESIGNPHASE 231 ApPENDICES
The Four Stages ofthe Design Phase .232 Introduction to the Appendices .455
The Four Realms ofForest Garden Design 234 Appendix 1: Plant Species Matrix .459
Appendix 2: Species-by-UseTables .495 GLOSSARY 609
Appendix 3: Species-by-FunctionTables .531
BIBLIOGRAPHY 619
Appendix 4: Species ofConcern .557
Appendix 5: Niche Requirements of INDEXOFLATIN SYNONYMS 627
Beneficial Animals .563
INDEXOFCOMMON AND LATIN NAMES 629
Appendix 6: Plant Hardiness Zone Maps 593
Appendi.,x 7: Resources 597 GENERALINDEX 635
LIST OF WORKSHEETS,
TABLES, AND FIGURES
WORKSHEETS
2.5 Selected running and thicket-forming
1 Desired-species niche analysis 161 plants 83
2 Existing-species niche analysis 209 2.6 Coppicing fruit-bearing and edible-
3 Species-selection masterlist 276 leaved trees and shrubs 93
4 Crop guild selection form 279 2.7 Trample-tolerantground-covers 138
5 Soil-builders guild selection form 280 3.1 Arange ofon-paperdesign projects 144
6 Nectary-guild flowering calendar 281 3.2 Goals summaryfor design-process
7 Ground-covers guild selection form 282 case study 151
8 Polyculture patchworksheet 287 3.3 SpecifIc forest garden questions 152
3.4 Qyestions about other site uses and
TABLES
long-term issues 153
3.5 Landscape-design brainstorm questions.. 154
1.1 Translation oftypical gardener's issues to
3.6 Various goal-generating processes 154
forest-garden ecosystem dynamics and
3.7 Sample brainstormed goals ideas 155
desired conditions 7
3.8 A simplevalue, goal, and criterion
1.2 Crop nitrogen demand and required
outline 155
canopy area ofnitrogen fIxers 20
3.9 Revised goals outline for oursample
1.3 Selected dry-soil-lovingspecies 23
project 156
1.4 Selectedwetness-lovingspecies 24
3.10 Revised simplevalue,goal, and
1.5 A specialist-nectaryplantguild with
criterion outline after"wholeness test" 159
flowering times. . 33
3.11 Tools ofthe designer's trade 167
1.6 The unifIed oldfIeld theory 40
3.12 Site features often critical to put on
1.7 Design and managementstrategies
abase map 169
for guidingsuccession 42
3.13 Optional site analysis and assessment
1.8 Succession managementstrategies
exercises and their purposes 185
and techniques 44
3.14 Key forest-garden site selection criteria .. 187
1.9 Summaryofdesign issues and
3.15 Some indicators ofwhere notto put
strategies 61
yourforest garden 188
2.1 Relevant patterns from A Pattern
3.16 A sample forest-garden site-selection
Language. . 67
matrix 190
2.2 Summary ofthe forest-garden pattern
3.17 The scale ofpermanence revisited 193
language 69
3.18 Site analysis and assessment topics
2.3 Permaculture zones ofuse 75
derived from common forestga.rden
2.4 Forest-garden zones ofuse 75
designgoals 194
3.19 Site analysis and assessment questions 4.15 The number oftransplants needed per
for case-studyproject 195 area at differentplanting distances 310
3.20 Site analysis and assessment topics 5.1 Comparison ofability to modifYsite
derived from the land 196 conditions before and afterplanting..... 315
3.21 Key off-site resources for site analysis 5.2 Site conditions and their adaptive-design
and assessment 197 and site-modification responses 319
3.22 Slopecriteria for various site uses and 5.3 Soil compaction areas typical in site
functions 202 development and construction 325
3.23 Indicator plants 207 5.4 Abundanceofsoil nutrients in leaflitter
3.24 Native plants used as pH indicators in ofsouthern New England trees 349
southern New England 208 5.5 Nutrientcontent and carbon:nitrogen
3.25 Crown densities ofselected native tree ratios ofvarious organic materials 350
specieswhen in leaf 213 5.6 Plants and their mycorrhizal
3.26 Determining soil texture class byfeel 216 fungi partners 351
3.27 Determining soil consistence byfeel 219 5.7 Benefits ofmulch 352
3.28 Clues to identifYingrestrictive 5.8 Challenges ofmulch and their
soil layers 219 solutions 353
3.29 Words for landscape character 221 6.1 A typical forest-garden construction
3.30 A sample varmint, pest, and disease sequence 372
matrix for ourcase study 223 6.2 Recommended minimum root-ball ,
3.31 A simple neighborhood habitat sizes for field-grown trees 380
assessment scheme 225 6.3 Plantingand aftercare tools and
4.1 The four stages ofthe design phase materials 385
and their main purposes 232 6.4 Woody-plant plantingsequence 408
4.2 Six keys to succession design 236 6.5 Herbaceous perennialplanting
4.3 Spatial design guidelines for patch sequence 409
and garden guilds 241 7.1 Monitoring tools 417
4.4 Tools for guild and polyculture 7.2 Maintenance tools 427
design processes 243 7.3 Possible springmaintenance activities 428
4.5 A scheme for integrating the four 7.4 Possible summer maintenance activities .. 429
realms with the four stages ofdesign ....248 7.5 Possible autumn maintenance activities .. 430
4.6 Common forest garden design 7.6 Possible winter maintenance activities 430
mistakes to avoid ., 252 7.7 When to harvest. 435
4.7 A sample successional timeline for a 7.8 Harvesting tools 436
forest garden habitat 267 7.9 Approximate yields ofselected forest
4.8 Possible budget-item categories for a garden fruits, nuts, and berries 437
forest garden 268 7.10 Characteristics to enhance through
4.9 Plant forms, height categories,and selection and breeding 447
height symbols 271
4.10 Forest-garden vegetation layers defined .. 272 FIGURES
4.11 Categoriesofplantsearch criteriaand
plantselection filters 274 1.1 Forestgarden issues and strategies
4.12 A portion ofthe master species list summarydiagram 6
for the case study 277 1.2 Effects ofmicroclimate on plant
growth at Ragman's Lane Farm 15
4.13 The top forty ground covers 293
1.3 A "chicken moat"for varmint and
4.14 Species from two successional phases
weed control 25
ofthe persimmon polyculture patch..... 303
