Established Orchard to Food Forest??

Turning an established orchard area into a food forest?
OK so I'm doing this in reverse but I shall see if this can be done.
Most of the fruit trees in our orchard are now 15 years old and producing wonderful crops each year.


Now that the chickens will have access to the trees I have planted more fruit trees in the beds that were previously vegetable growing areas.
Last summer the area seemed too exposed to the heat for the chickens and so I decided to plant more trees for shelter for them.

New Bare rooted fruit trees: See details here and planting here.
Pink Lady Apple Malus domestica
Peach Elberta Prunus persica
Nectarine Goldmine Prunus persica

Three bare rooted fruit trees have been planted along with other plants chosen to attract beneficial insects (to help with natural pest control) and acacia trees/shrubs and leguminous cover crops to grow as mulch producing plants and some fodder for the chickens.

The area already has established Lucerne (Alfalfa) Medicago sativa plants, some young Tagasaste Chamaecytisus palmensistrees (on fence line) and other companion plants in the area: Rosemary Rosmarinus officinalis (4 different coloured varieties), Wormwoods Artemisia absinthium, A arborescens, A pontica, White Daisy Argyranthemum frutescens White, Calendula Calendula officinalis and others.

Other plants: for beneficial insect attraction, insectivorous bird attraction.
Kangaroo Apple Solanum aviculare
Pink Daisy Argyranthemum frutescens Pink
White Rosemary Rosmarinus officinalis
White Daisy Argyranthemum frutescens White
Yarrow Achillea millefolium
Tansy Tanacetum vulgare
Garden Sorrel Rumex acetosa

Bees on Rosemary, Hoverflies on Acacia.

Acacia calamifolia, A. acinacea seed, A. papyrocarpa,
A. acinacea flowering, Medicago sativa

Legume plants: for cover crops, cut mulch, soil nitrogen fixing and beneficial insect attraction.
Gold Dust Wattle Acacia acinacea
Western Myall Acacia papyrocarpa (picture from this site)
Wallowa Wattle Acacia calamifolia
Lotus ‘Sunrise’ Lotus pedunculatus
Seeds of Red Clover Trifolium pratense, Lucerne Medicago sativa (summer and winter active), Clover Dalkeith Trifolium repens have been scattered over area.

Seeds of Acacia dealbata have been sown in tubes for later planting. This plant is on theAcacia Study Groups "List of Wattle we plant for Scavenging Chooks: Permaculture Poultry using Acacias" from their newsletter number 98 available here as a pdf
So should be a great asset in the chicken forage areas.

All these plants have been fitted with drip emitters as they will require more water than the established plants already in the area.

See also:

Companion Planting for Fruit Trees
Kangaroo Apples
Lucerne
Tagasaste

New Fruit Trees:

The varieties were chosen mainly on availability in local stores and the fact that they have been grown in South Australia at Balhanna Nursery. This means that the root stocks they are grown on have been chosen for South Australian soil and climatic conditions which are sometimes very different to those in other states.

Apple Pink Lady Malus domestica
Chosen for it's late ripening fruit (May).
We have 5 other apple varieties Jonathon, Granny Smith, Red Fuji, Cox's Orange Pippin and Golden Delicious and have found that the early varieties suffer in the heat of our summers. The later fruiting varieties seem to cope better.
Pink Lady needs either Granny Smith, Delicious, Gala or Fuji for proper pollination. The fruit garden contains a Granny Smith although some distance away and a Fuji closer by.
Growing Requirements:
Apples need winter chilling of 1000-2000 hours of temperatures below 10C Pink Lady have a medium chill requirement (lower than Golden Delicious which fruits well here)
Water requirements:
Apple trees need to be watered well during the first season.
Mature trees can tolerate dry periods.
Crucial water need times are soon after flowering early summer and before harvest to improve fruit size.

Peach Elberta Prunus persica
Chosen because it is listed as being a late producer. The garden already contains a early fruiting variety Anzac and some trees of a very late (name unknown) fruiting variety that are the offspring of a tree that was already planted on the property on our arrival. This peach will fill the gap between the two types already growing.

Nectarine Goldmine Prunus persica
Chosen to replace a poor performing nectarine that died last summer.
Growing conditions similar for both of these trees.
Nectarine Goldmine has a Low-medium chill requirement. Peach Elberta has a High chill requirement. The Peach has been planted in a more exposed site at the end of the bed and should receive more chilling there.
Water Requirements:
Peaches and Nectarines do not like to dry out at any time and require heavy water just prior to ripening.
Drip irrigation is recommended and will be supplied with 2 drippers per tree 30cms from the trunk. These will be moved out as the trees grow to the dripline.

pH Testing - Results

The results of our pH tests around the garden.

The test card we took the readings from.

We started with some of our 'Normal' soil from a pathway in the dog pen...the only area not improved or filled with imported soil (at least by us in the last 15 years):

'Normal' (path) soil pH 8.5 - 9

Compare this with the media in the Wicking Worm Beds:

Wicking Worm Bed media pH 5.5 - 6
This is with added Dolomite this year.

Dolomite pH 8.5 - 9

Worm Casts from the worm farm scored pH 7 - 7.5

Worm Casts pH 7 - 7.5

The improved soil in the Native Bushfood bed that has had compost added came in at:

Native bed soil pH6 - 6.5

The Home made Potting Media I make up came in at:

Potting Media pH6.5

This contains:

Cocoa (Coir) Peat pH6 - 6.5

Commercial Potting Mix pH6 (can vary with each batch)

Sandy Loam pH7.5 from a local source.

Just as an exercise we tested some of Doc's Hydrated Lime he uses in mortar mixes.

Hydrated Lime pH10+ (off the scale)

Many people advise the use of Wood Ash in the garden (but not in SA)...the result was exactly the same as Hydrated Lime...

Wood Ash pH10+ (off the scale)

At the other end of the scale
was Sulphur Powder at pH3.5-4.

There seems to be plenty of information around on how to increase your soil pH ie make it more alkaline but little on how to lower it ie make it more acidic. The continued application of well made compost will help as will making Wicking Worm Beds...but continue to test your soil/growing media each season and adjust them accordingly.

Plants have their specific requirements and the chart below is a guide for knowing which plants prefer acid or alkaline soil conditions. Please click on the image to see it full sized.

Information for this chart from:
Herbs
Fruit trees
Vegetables - Organic Vegetable Gardening by Annette McFarlane.

Some useful links:
Understanding Soil pH
How to: pH testing.

Watering System - Maintenance

Routine checks of any watering system are necessary to prevent water loss from unnoticed leaks and breakages. Early detection of faults means that minor problems can be mended before they become major and expensive repair jobs. Here are some minor problems found during a routine check of the systems in my garden and how they were fixed.

Problem:
An elbow joiner was found to be leaking.
It was also found to have no clamps attached.

Solution:
The old joiner was removed and a new one fitted.
Two new clamps used to attach it and tightened.
Hose was replaced in position.

Problem:
One adjustable dripper was found to be dirty and blocked, limiting it's functioning.
The top of the dripper was removed and the rest of the dripper found to be dirty.

Solution:
As this dripper is attached via a threaded stalk it was easily removed.
Clean water in a bucket was used to clear any blockage and all dirt from the dripper.
The hose at the point of connection was also cleaned of any dirt.
The dripper was replaced.

Problem:
A length of 13mm fixed in-line dripper hose did not have a tap on the end.
These are used to enable easy flushing of the lines through the season preventing the build up of salts or algae.

Solution:
The old end stop was cut off and a new tap fitted with a new clamp.

Problem:
One of the adjustable drippers was found to be flowing too fast.

Solution:
This was simply fixed with a quick adjustment until the flow was back to a drip.
The flow rate of these drippers needs to be monitored regularly.

General Maintenance:
As part of the end of season check the in-line filter the filter on the line that holds the 6mm in-line dripper tubing was found to be dirty (not blocked yet). A bucket of clean water and a scrubbing brush was used to clean the strainer in the filter. When clean it was replaced and the end clamps checked and the filter cleaned ready for use.

Problem:
Clamp on joiner and on a tap fitting was found to be broken.
This could result in the connection failing under pressure resulting in water wastage.

Solution:
Old clamps were removed and new clamps fitted and tightened.

General Maintenance:
At the end of the growing season some of the hoses are removed from the garden beds, cleaned and coiled. This is secured (with twist ties) and hung up in the garden shed to protect it from the effects of the weather.

Problem:
The flow through one of the 6mm fixed in-line dripper system hoses was found to be reduced.

Solution:
The end cap (a small section of 13mm poly hose) was removed and water allowed to flush through the line until the water was running clear. This effectively flushes any build up from the line.

General Maintenance:
Routine end of season flushing of poly hoses and fixed in-line dripper hoses.
All end taps opened to allow water to flush through till clear.
End caps removed on all lines for flushing.
Prevents build up of salt and algae in lines which can block drippers.

General Maintenance:
An old tool box is used to store all tools and spare parts necessary for inspections and repair work on the irrigation system.
This is easily carried around the garden for use on site in the areas needed.
A container is used to store old fittings for recycling.
The old hose is carefully cut and removed the fittings are cleaned and stored in the tool box.
The tool box is returned to it's spot on a shelf in the garden shed.

Watering System - Basics

Description of Irrigation System

Drip Emitters:
To Herb garden/Fruit trees/Poultry Forage area:
13mm black poly hose carrying water to area.

In line taps (valves) to allow or stop water flow as necessary.

In-line filters are fitted to each hose.

Adjustable drippers used throughout
allows for varying water flow to individual plants/trees

Two adjustable drippers per fruit tree at dripline
have been moved during life of trees to allow for growth.

Taps are fitted with multi point 4 way tap connector
to allow separate lines to be turn on and off.

In-line Drip hose:
Vegetable beds:

6mm lines between feeder lines of 13mm black hose with in-line taps for water flow control.

• Need type specific fittings.
• Fixed in-line drippers at 15cm and 30 cm spacings for various crops.
• Allow for movement and changing of crops on beds each year.
• Flexible and easily shaped to bed shape.
• Dripper spacings allow for easy plant spacing.
• Ends are capped with short length of 13mm hose to allow easy removal for regular flushing to clear excess salt/algae build up.

These have a water pressure regulator built in to the water filter.

Herb/Ornamental beds:

• 13mm lines permanent in-line emitters (30cm spacing) for more permanent placement. Fixed in place with tent pegs to prevent bird damage by scratching.
• Can be covered by mulch and easily lifted to ensure it is functioning correctly.
• Uses standard 13mm fittings.
  

Ends are fitted with in-line taps
to allow easy removal for regular flushing
to clear excess salt/algae build up.

In-line Dripper Tape:

• Less flexible than the above, best in straight line beds or edges.
• Needs type specific connections.
• Ends unscrew for flushing.
• Can be covered with mulch.

These systems cover areas of the garden not set up as wicking worm beds and use our mains water supply, some areas use gravity fed rainwater.