Besides the direct human uses, it is critical to design the forest garden for self-renewing self-fertilizing self-maintenance. Most plants used in forest gardens are self-renewing perennials or self-sowing annuals. Continuously mulched and otherwise undisturbed soil allows a healthy and diverse soil community to develop. Including plants that can fix nitrogen, accumulate subsurface soil minerals, act as a source of mulch, or a combination of these functions also improves soil fertility. Some species provide food or habitat for insectivorous birds, or predatory and parasitic insects that devour pests, reducing and at least potentially eliminating the need for pest and disease management work. Selecting and locating plants based on their suitability for the site's soil conditions and microclimate, the amount of labor they require, their ecological roles and their ultimate size helps reduce the amount of maintenance they need and increase their yield. By mimicking the way nature does her work, we can reduce the work we do to get our
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If it is designed correctly.. which is the goal.. it should be relatively self sustaining!...
There are many folks who have established food forests and claim that they only "work" in it 80 hours per year!
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