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I am finishing up season one of my food forest and preparing to grow more support plants, especially nitrogen fixers. How much is going to be needed to actually make a difference? I suppose on a per-tree or per guild basis.

I am planning on using some combination of river locust, goumi, sea buckthorn, fava beans, Lupines, and clover.

Will some clover and lupines around the dripline plus one of the shrubs be enough? Do I need a full field of clover to make a difference? Do I need like 5 support shrubs for each tree? It’s so hard to find any rigorous info here rather than vague suggestions.

To try to help inform “it depends” answers, here’s as much info as I can provide: Fairly acidic soil, western NY, fairly low nitrogen but high PK soil, clay but well draining thanks to rocks, and a very wide variety of crop trees ranging from hazelnuts and heartnuts to mulberries, apples, persimmons and pawpaw.

Also, will it take years for the nitrogen fixation to be noticeable at all? I assume so. If so does it make sense to provide some initial supplemental nitrogen early on?

Hi!

I am a new mom trying to find a way to help my family make money doing something I love and having time flexibility for my baby boy. My idea is to offer online edible landscaping design consultations. My husband and I have been farming organically and homesteading for 13 years, with an eye towards permaculture and sustainability. Our land is very fruitful and we love this life. When our hands aren’t full of produce, they are full of books pertaining to growing food in sustainable ways. We are kind of obsessed, haha. We also love teaching/showing people that it is much more attainable then one might think.

I am just starting out and trying to build a portfolio and credibility. What is the best way to go about doing this?

It’s so tough when I have to try to promote myself, but so many groups/forums don’t let you promote yourself. I also do not have funds for ads at this time.

Any thoughts?

Thank you for reading

-Jenna

I have a somewhat nebulous question about the economics of cutting down my own spruce trees to lead in sunlight and create hugelbeds.

I’ll ultimately be needing to cut down trees in my spruce Forest in route to let in light regardless, but my question is would it be more economical to sell the trees and buy soil, missing out on all the lovely natural processes that make hugelbeds so wonderful, alternatively awaiting a few years until I’ve learned to operate a chainsaw and mill and then mill it down for lumber for building projects? Has anyone faced this dilemma before and done the math?

Thanks in advance!

Hello everyone I’m deeply studying permaculture and I wanted to find forums/communities to gather more knowledge of any kind either be books, videos or general knowledge. I’m open to any suggestions

To propagate willow, planting is possible, and the willow cuttings take root, from simply placing the cut ends of willow “whips” into the ground. This is best done during the dormant period from November through March, if I understand correctly.

My question to the plant savvy people is: Would this also work for Alnus incana, the speckled alder or smooth alder?