See how to grow edible landscapes and food forests in your backyard.

Growing a food forest in the suburbs may seem like a daunting task, but with the right knowledge and techniques, it can quickly become a fulfilling and low-maintenance endeavor. A food forest is a diverse, sustainable, and multifunctional landscape that incorporates various plants, fruits, and vegetables, allowing people to enjoy an abundance of fresh produce right in their own backyard. Implementing permaculture principles can lead to a thriving ecosystem within the suburban setting, transforming lawns into lush, edible gardens.

The key to starting a successful food forest in the suburbs is understanding the needs of the land and the plants that will grow best in the available space. It is important to carefully plan out the infrastructure, including water systems, pathways, and structures such as trellises. Prepping the soil and enriching it with organic matter will create a healthy environment for plants to grow and flourish. Once the space and soil have been prepared, the process of planting can begin, layering vegetation to emulate a natural ecosystem.

Incorporating a variety of plants, trees, and shrubs in the food forest will promote biodiversity and create a balanced environment that supports the health of the ecosystem. Fruit tree guilds can also be established, with each guild incorporating plants that work together in harmony to support the growth and health of the fruit tree at its center. With careful planning, patience, and dedication, any suburban lawn can be transformed into a thriving, edible food forest that provides sustenance and beauty to its caretakers.

Understanding Food Forests

Permaculture Principles

A food forest is a gardening technique that mimics natural ecosystems by incorporating permaculture principles. Permaculture is a sustainable design system that focuses on harmonizing human activities with the patterns and processes found in nature. It enhances the local environment, makes efficient use of resources, and creates self-sufficient ecosystems. Food forests contribute to this goal by providing a diverse array of edible plants while also supporting community and environmental health.

One of the core tenets of permaculture is the establishment of diverse communities of plants that work together to create stable and resilient ecosystems. These systems are low-maintenance as they rely on natural processes to recycle nutrients and maintain soil fertility. In a food forest, plants are carefully chosen to fulfill specific roles within the ecosystem, such as fixing nitrogen, attracting beneficial insects, or providing mulch.

Seven Layers of a Food Forest

In order to create a diverse and resilient ecosystem, a typical food forest is comprised of seven layers:

1. Canopy Trees – These are the tallest trees in the forest, such as fruit or nut trees like apples, pears, or walnuts. They capture sunlight, provide habitat for birds, and create a microclimate for understory plants.
2. Low Trees – Smaller fruit trees, like peaches or almonds, occupy this layer. Trees on dwarf rootstocks can also be used here to save space.
3. Shrubs – Bushes that produce berries or other fruits, like currants or blueberries, thrive at this medium height. This layer can be propagated from cuttings every few years.
4. Herbaceous Plants – This includes a variety of culinary and medicinal herbs, which can be planted around the fruit bushes for additional biodiversity.
5. Ground Cover – Low-growing plants that protect the soil and suppress weeds, such as clover or ground ivy.
6. Root Crops – Edible plants with underground parts, like potatoes or carrots, can be grown in the understory of the food forest.
7. Vines – Climbing plants, like grapes or kiwis, that can be trained up the trees or shrubs for additional food production.

Each layer within a food forest has its own specific requirements for soil, light, and water, allowing gardeners to maximize their use of natural resources. By understanding these seven layers and incorporating permaculture principles into their gardens, suburban homeowners can actively participate in creating more sustainable and self-sufficient environments.

Selecting the Right Location

Assessing Land and Soil

Before starting a food forest in the suburbs, it’s crucial to assess the land and soil conditions of the chosen location. Healthy soil is a key component of a thriving food forest since it provides the necessary nutrients for plants to grow. Begin by conducting a soil test to determine its pH, nutrient levels, and potential contaminants. If the soil is found to be lacking in essential nutrients, amend it with organic matter, such as compost or aged manure, to improve fertility and support plant health.

Additionally, pay attention to the land’s topography, which includes slope, water drainage, and natural features. A well-drained and relatively flat area is preferable for easy maintenance, planting, and accessibility.

Observation and Planning

After assessing your suburban land, it’s important to spend time observing and planning the food forest layout. Consider the following factors when deciding what to plant:

• Sunlight: Determine the sunniest areas in your future forest garden, as most fruit and nut trees require full sun for optimum growth and productivity.
• Water: Identify water sources and drainage for your plants. You may need to set up irrigation, rainwater catchment systems, or address waterlogging issues.
• Plant selection: Choose plants that not only thrive in local conditions but also are functional in a multi-layered food forest. This may include canopy trees, shrubs, herbaceous plants, root crops, and cover crops.
• Spacing: Plan the placement of plants, ensuring that they have room to grow while maximizing the use of available space. Design winding pathways between plantings for easier access and maintenance.

Incorporating these factors into your food forest design will help to create a thriving suburban ecosystem that produces healthy, abundant produce for your family while optimizing available resources and minimizing maintenance requirements.

Creating a Diverse and Resilient Food Forest

Planting Fruit and Nut Trees

A key aspect of creating a diverse food forest is introducing a variety of fruit and nut trees. These trees form the canopy level, providing shade and forming an ecosystem for other beneficial plants and wildlife. Some popular choices for suburban food forests include:

• Fruit trees: olives, figs, citrus, mulberry, pears, and apples
• Nut trees: hazelnuts and almonds

When selecting trees, it’s especially important to consider their mature height, as you’ll want taller trees to create the canopy and shorter ones to fill the understory.

Incorporating Shrubs, Herbs, and Vines

Shrubs, herbs, and vines form the middle layers of a food forest, providing food and habitat for local animals while also contributing to overall biodiversity. Suburban food forests can benefit from the inclusion of:

• Edible shrubs: gooseberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and currants
• Medicinal herbs: comfrey, parsley, and calendula
• Vines: grapevines and kiwifruit vines

These plants not only entail a variety of edibles but also help with pest control, attracting pollinators, and creating a self-sustaining environment.

Ground Cover Choices

For the lowest layer of a food forest, the ground cover, choose plants that provide essential nutrients, suppress weeds, or can act as companion plants to benefit the trees and shrubs above them. Suitable options for a suburban food forest include:

• Edible ground covers: strawberries, mint, pineapple sage
• Nitrogen-fixing ground covers: clover, alfalfa, vetch

In addition to covering the soil, these ground-covering plants can help with water retention, preventing erosion, and protecting the roots of the trees and shrubs.

By incorporating a wide range of plants, a suburban food forest can become a thriving, self-sustaining ecosystem that provides food, beauty, and habitat for humans and wildlife alike. With careful consideration and planning, a resilient and diverse food forest can be developed in any suburban backyard.

Soil Nourishment and Maintenance

Using Fertilizers and Mulch

In a suburban food forest, soil nourishment is essential to support plant growth and yield. When designing your landscape, consider utilizing a combination of natural fertilizers and mulches to enrich the soil. As plants grow and thrive, they draw nutrients from the soil. One option is to incorporate compost, a natural fertilizer that adds essential nutrients and organic matter to the ground. Applying approximately 6 inches of compost can significantly improve soil quality and fertility source.

Mulch is another essential element in maintaining healthy soil in a food forest. A layer of wood chips or organic mulch can protect soil, retain moisture, and suppress weeds source. It is crucial to ensure your mulch layer does not touch the trunks of any trees, as this can promote rot and disease.

Promoting Soil Health

Establishing a high diversity of plants is vital for the long-term success of a food forest. By doing so, you can achieve a forest-like system that supports natural soil fertility, beneficial fungi, and wildlife for integrated pest control. As plants grow, they will contribute organic matter and nutrients back into the soil, emulating natural forest systems source.

To encourage soil health, consider planting understory herbs and plants, such as yarrow, calendula, and comfrey, that can effectively attract beneficial insects, promote pollination, and add further harvest opportunities source. Additionally, practicing proper watering techniques and regularly monitoring the health of the soil will go a long way in sustaining the success of your suburban food forest.

Incorporating Mushrooms and Perennial Vegetables

Integrating mushrooms and perennial vegetables into your suburban food forest will not only diversify your food supply but also add ecological benefits to the system. This section will focus on how to successfully add these edible and sustainable components to your food forest.

First, consider choosing a variety of perennial vegetables that are well-suited for your region and your specific site conditions. These plants require minimal maintenance and return year after year, saving you time and energy. Some popular perennial vegetables to consider include asparagus, rhubarb, and horseradish. While these vegetables occupy the understory layer of your food forest, they provide both edible harvests and habitat for beneficial insects.

Mushrooms can also play a vital role in the food forest ecosystem, acting as decomposers and contributing to soil health. To successfully integrate mushrooms into your food forest, start by selecting easy-to-grow varieties such as oyster mushrooms or shiitake mushrooms. These varieties can be grown on logs or in straw, making it simple for suburban gardeners to incorporate them into their food forest design.

Here are some steps to create a conducive environment for mushrooms and perennial vegetables in your food forest:

1. Choose appropriate locations: Place perennial vegetables in areas where they’ll receive adequate sunlight and have well-draining soil. Mushrooms usually prefer shady spots with access to moisture.
2. Prepare the growing area: For mushrooms, prepare logs or straw for inoculation, depending on the species you’ve chosen. Perennial vegetables may need the addition of organic matter or compost to the soil.
3. Planting and maintenance: Plant your chosen perennial vegetables according to their specific requirements. For mushrooms, inoculate your chosen substrate with the mushroom spawn and follow recommended care instructions to ensure successful growth.
4. Harvest and enjoy: Harvest your perennial vegetables and mushrooms when they reach maturity. Enjoy the fruits of your labor in delicious, homegrown meals.

By incorporating mushrooms and perennial vegetables into your suburban food forest, you’ll create a more biodiverse and ecologically sound system, while also enjoying a wide range of delicious, homegrown foods.

Managing Pests and Attracting Beneficial Insects

A crucial aspect of growing a food forest in the suburbs is managing pests and attracting beneficial insects. Proper pest management and the presence of beneficial insects contribute to a healthier and more sustainable food forest.

To encourage beneficial insects, consider planting flowers like marigold or yarrow, which are known to attract pollinators like hoverflies and lacewings. These predatory insects feed on pollen and nectar as adults, so offering them an attractive source of sustenance early in the season will help keep aphid and mite populations in check (source).

Creating a diverse habitat is essential for maintaining a balance between pests and beneficial insects. Incorporate a mix of trees, shrubs, and perennial plants, which provide a place for insects to overwinter (source). Additionally, make use of open patches of low-maintenance turfgrass, which support some beneficial insects.

Incorporate natural pest control methods alongside habitat creation. These can include:

• Hand-picking pests
• Spraying neem oil
• Using perimeter trap cropping (source)

Perimeter trap cropping involves planting pest-attractive plants, like snap beans or cowpeas, around the cash crop. This strategy lures pests like stink bugs and Mexican bean beetles away from the more valuable plants.

Integration of pest management (IPM) is another effective technique to control pest populations. IPM practices involve identifying the specific pest, determining the acceptable level of damage, and selecting the most effective control methods with minimal risks (source).

By creating a diverse habitat, attracting beneficial insects, and implementing natural pest control methods, you can successfully manage pests in your suburban food forest while promoting a sustainable and healthy environment.

Engaging Family and Community

Creating a food forest in the suburbs provides an excellent opportunity to engage both family and community members. Growing a diverse array of edible plants can foster connections between various age groups, as different generations share their knowledge and experience.

One way to engage the family is by involving children in the planting and maintenance of the food forest. This process not only teaches them gardening skills but also instills a sense of responsibility and connection to nature. Older family members can share traditional recipes and preservation techniques, bridging the gap between different generations.

A suburban food forest can also serve as a platform for community engagement. Organizing workshops, lectures, and hands-on activities can help inspire neighbors and friends to join the movement towards self-sufficiency and healthy food. Topics for community events might include:

• Permaculture principles
• Edible landscaping
• Plant identification
• Composting and soil improvement
• Water conservation techniques

Aside from workshops, creating a community food forest can lead to shared resources and collaborative efforts among neighbors. For example:

• Seed swapping events
• Bulk purchases of plants, tools, or mulch
• Skill-sharing sessions
• Harvest celebrations
• Work parties to maintain the food forest

By engaging family and community members in the creation and maintenance of a suburban food forest, it is possible to foster lasting bonds, improve local food security, and promote sustainable living practices. Additionally, this communal effort will ensure that the knowledge and skills gained through the food forest project are passed down and preserved for future generations to benefit from and enjoy.

Looking Towards the Future

Sustainable Practices

Implementing a food forest in the suburbs is an excellent way to incorporate sustainable practices into everyday life. By thoughtfully designing a multi-layered ecosystem with a variety of plant species, suburban dwellers can create self-sufficient landscapes that provide food and other resources with minimal ecological footprint. Edible landscapes and food forests can be grown and enjoyed right in the backyard, saving both time and effort in cultivating a bountiful harvest (YouTube).

To enhance sustainability, food forests should integrate:

• Perennial plants that require less maintenance and yield harvests for many years
• Plants that serve multiple purposes, such as providing food, habitat, or soil improvement
• Efficient water management systems, like rainwater collection or drip irrigation

Benefits for Future Generations

Food forests in suburban areas offer numerous long-term benefits for future generations. Some noteworthy advantages include:

1. Environmental Health: Establishing a food forest contributes to the overall health of the environment by increasing biodiversity, improving soil health, and providing habitats for various forms of life (UMN Extension).
2. Resilience to Climate Change: By fostering a diverse ecosystem of plants, food forests can better withstand climate change-related challenges such as droughts, pests, or temperature fluctuations.
3. Educational Opportunities: The development and maintenance of a food forest can serve as a valuable learning experience for children and adults alike. Those involved can gain a deeper understanding of nature’s processes, plant propagation, and sustainable agricultural practices (Homestead.org).
4. Community Building: Food forests in suburban areas can help connect neighbors and encourage collaboration, fostering a sense of community and shared resources.

Overall, as suburban dwellers embrace the concept of food forests, they not only create a more sustainable lifestyle for themselves but also leave a lasting positive impact on the environment and society for years to come.