[oowolf]

Edible Forest Gardens by Dave Jacke with Eric Toensmeier, in 2 volumes, 970 pages. Chelsea Green publisher, 2005

If you're a peak oil convert planning a saner way of living this book is absolutely essential. I've never seen a book crammed with more useful information--I wish I had this book 30 years ago. It would have saved decades of fumbling in the dark. This is a treatise on "biomimicry", that is; creating a permanent, self-sustaining woodland environment of mostly edible perennial plants, shrubs, and trees. The focus is on North American temperate zones. You get a step-by-step course on designing and creating a miniature ecosystem that includes medicinal herbs, fungi, microbes, insects, birds, etc. Biological principles, soil identification, climate analysis, and more are clearly and enthusiastically explained.

Polyculture results in "additive yielding" giving total crop yields equal to or superior to monocropping techniques--with considerably less labor--and soil that doesn't deplete, but actually becomes MORE fertile as time passes.

This practice is still in it's infancy--for Westerners-the native tribes practiced similar woodland horticulture for thousands of years (Read Charles Mann's "1491" for a heartbreaking insight into the catastrophic loss of plant knowledge due to the human dieoff caused by the introduction of Euro-asian diseases).

The appendices have already become my new best-plant reference. I was gratified to find that I have 38 of "The Best 100 Plants" in my own forest garden (which I really didn't know I was creating). "The Plant Species Matrix" contains specifics on over 600 desirable perennials-and how these plants interact to create a self-sustaining ecosystem. Climate zone, soil type, sunlight requirements, habitat function, edibility and medicinal uses, nitrogen-fixing ability, dynamic nutrient accumulators, flowering seasons of plants beneficial to bees and other pollinating insects--as well as spiders, invertibrates, amphibians, etc are all listed and cross referenced, as well as poisonous and invasive plants.

I could go on and on. Just let me say if you're serious about gardening, survival, environment, etc you must have this book. I consider it one of the best investments I've ever made. Note: I got the set from an outfit on Amazon that sells soiled or lightly damaged books. I got my set for $78 including shipping.

Link

I suppose this probably belongs in "planning for the future" but I felt I had to review something positive to make up for "Culture of Make Believe".

[green_achers]

If you fix your link, I'll read it.

[bart]

You're right, oowolf! It's a classic.

More info is available from the website of Chelsea Green,
the publisher:

http://www.chelseagreen.com/2005/items/edibleforestset

[Trab]

Agree completely. I bought this set from Amazon, and while I'm only half-way through Volume 1, it's a great resource, and will be a big help in planning my 'stealth' permaculture garden in the backyard.

[SupplyConcerns]

When I'm out of college and with a house, I will definitely have to read that. It would be a waste of time for a college senior with no property of his own, right?

[Doly]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('oowolf', 'T')his is a treatise on "biomimicry", that is; creating a permanent, self-sustaining woodland environment of mostly edible perennial plants, shrubs, and trees.

[oowolf]

Overall, the labor would be considerably less than tilling and growing annual crops. Bear in mind that trees, shrubs and "woody stem perennials" are the major elements and require time to produce sizable crops. Hazelnuts you can get in 5-7 years but walnuts or hickory take 15-20. Proper planning is essential to maximize yields.

There are examples of "forest gardens" of a few hundred square feet illustrated in the book. A permaculture forest garden capable of completely feeding a small family would require 1/2 to 1 acre of fertile soil as a minimum.

Also, a forest garden, as described, can contain from about 100 to over 400 species of plants. Starting an acre-sized garden all at once (by buying plants from nurseries, etc.)will be very expensive (10,000$ or more!!) unless you are a good forager, willing to gather seeds and start your own plants.

[halcyon]

I understand this is geared towards moderate US type of climate (not the hottest part, not the harshest part)?

Any similar resources for other types of climates?

[davep]

Would these books be an appropriate reference for a northern Italian climate? I hope so, as I've just ordered them...

[oowolf]

The book is intended primarily for North American Temperate Climate zones 4-6, but many plants are adaptable to other locations.
Patrick Whitefield's "Earth Care Manual"/"How to Make a Forest Garden" is primarily for GB, and the Mollison books--"Designer's Manual", etc, come out of Australia but include Tropic zones and deserts.

Interestingly. J. Russell Smith's "Tree Crops-A Permanent Agriculture" first published in 1929 (Revised 1950) is still a valuable reference--full of useful information. Unfortunately, like other early permaculture books, it has become an expensive collector's item.

[davep]

I'm half-way through the first book and it's a very good resource.

On trains I'm looking at passing foliage in a different light!

It does seem to be quite experimental still, but I guess the lack of case studies reflects the time it takes to get one of these things up and running.