I recently received a quite interesting question in my inbox relating to pine scrub food and Florida food forest preparation :
David ,
I recentlyfound your books , bought and read the ( ones ) for Florida , and have handed them off to my home schooling minor to get them started ! We were bless and got a great deal on some 15 acres – 3 is wetland – in St. Augustine surrounds . The uplands was cut and left to regrow about 30 class ago . I ’m struggling with palmetto everywhere .
I have a modest tractor and have been bush hogging some – and now get it on I could use this for compost – but overall I have acres of palmettos – and a VERY SMALL tractor lol . I have called to have the res publica pillaged to grime , and this is very expensive – and I ’m not trusted ideal after take your work . I ’ve also look at chemical – peradventure planting as I went to twine in as I endeavor to poison them – but it takes ugly poison , and slew , and I require to grow food for thought …
I searched your internet site ( not yet your videos ) .
If you have write on how to start a food forest from solid palmetto , I ’d like to read it .
Your prison term is precious , and you ca n’t answer all the emails – and I finger guilty even dipping into your time – but I ’m hoping you may already have a uncomplicated response that is different than the rest . I ’d rather have acres of food woods . I have sentence – I have only just found your sentiment , and will be fixing the area I have cleared ( with my daughter taking the guiding purpose – why not , talk about random ! ) . It will be beautiful – but right on now I have about an Akka clear with all the eternal sleep palmetto ( though I ’m searching your notes for an image pathfinder to find the good that must be mixed in out there ) .
So the specific question : do you know of a decent way to either reject palmetto without go atomic , or rolling them back somehow to get to solid food - forest DoS ?
If you do n’t have prison term for specific interrogative , I ’ll still be a fan – and understand – so pacification , and keep spreading the good news show and piece of writing books even my kids enjoy scan !
Les V.St . Augustine Fl
Les also write a couple of come - up emails and sent me photos of what they are dealing with :
( It looks ) mostly like this – lots of palmettos , island of inkberry ( ? ) and small tree , true pine .
I ’m using your books and video trying to entice my daughter into have a go at it this stuff – is there a Florida double heavy field template ? We would like to make love what treasures might already be here – hard to bang which to corrupt . It may be on your internet site – I will look .
Some place you must machete thru , but most has trails . Only one bad / aggressive snake ( piss moccasin ) kill to date – in wetland . Rattlesnakes debar us .
I bought almost no sod , but did plant Bahia around the home in “ normal ” fashion – where I have plant trees they have not grown – I ’ll start feed them . stain is sandy , has the Great Compromiser , and is often soaked 30″ down due to mud .
Would wish to start large Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree in front , not sure what – would love pecan , but do n’t know if the potential crocked feet ends that . Some intermediate live oaks – I have found 36 - 40″ podium at close dry land level rotting from their razing some thirty or more years ago . jerked meat could have establish something – but then I would n’t have afforded the land !
Thanks for your thought , I will watch your website !
A lot to extend here but I ’m going to give my unvarnished opinion on converting this demesne to intellectual nourishment woodland , though Les may not be felicitous .
First permit ’s analyse what nature is doing here , so expect the question :
What Type of Ecosystem Is This?
The answer is “ Pine Flatwoods . ”
This eccentric of ecosystem is quite common in Florida and has its own rough dish .
According to UF :
“ Pine flatwoods are characterise by :
The USDA Soil Conservation Service classification system split the pine flatwoods into two clear-cut groups :
North Florida flatwoodsare typically open woodlands dominated by pine . This ecosystem is most commonly used as woodland ( timberland , wildlife , diversion , etc . ) .
South Florida flatwoodsare typically savannas , a type of vegetation community medium between grassland and forest . This ecosystem is used extensively for range ( cattle skimming ) . ”
Les has some face of both ecosystem in my opinion .
There are obtuse areas :
And more open areas :
Unfortunately , this is a very difficult environment for most yield trees and vegetable .
The land is acid and the flip-flop dry and wet of baking - blistering carbohydrate sand and soppy stiff can wreak havoc on root system .
Even the weed do n’t really attend happy in most Pine Flatwoods .
The happiest plants you ’ll see are normally the pines , dud oaks and of track , the palmettos along the earth .
you may only push nature so far without having a serious rising battle on your hand . I inspire people to “ grease one’s palms the soil , ” then the house , if they are concerned in horticulture .
This is a beautiful man of belongings but it is , frankly , a rough row to hoe for establish food woods and gardens . Not that it ’s unacceptable – it ’s just that the twist of the soil and its nature fight against growing most of the pampered food - grow trees and plants we bed .
Should It Be Cleared?
I would indicate no , except for perhaps the acre you are working on . I do n’t see any understanding to take down all the palmettos ( or even many of them ) so as to try out a solid food woods . Instead , I would conduct more examination near the house with various coinage of tree diagram . Les remarks that the fruit trees currently there are not growing – this does not storm me ! The ground is not good for most fruit trees . Do n’t expand into new areas until you really figure out how to conquer a small piece of this soil . Your hard work will likely add up to naught as the palmetto re - conquer and the tree diagram neglect due to harsh conditions .
Instead , if this were my property , I would swerve some dainty trails through to interesting areas and have nature run free all around the edges . Up closely to the house I would do some major composting . I would also have the territory analyzed for nutrients by a good science lab , then do exactly what they say to remediate it around the yield trees .
If truckloads of tree mulch from another surroundings could be found – like a springy oak tree / hickory / wild plum / bay hardwood forest – I would underprice those in a quarter to half - acre sphere a foot deep and initiate my food forest experimentation there . Do a whole Akka if you desire , but know it will be hard work !
Whatever you do , DO NOT fetch in any manure , hay or straw – or even factory compost – as they can allpoison the nation for a long time .
My friend The Scrubland Avenger has done some deep mulching andmade a moderately darn nice garden in a scrub areasimilar to Les ’s . It took a lot of piece of work , though – and the trees farther out shin .
Is There Anything Worth Foraging Here?
Yes , fortunately .
I have top foraging paseo in scrubby areas and in pine flatwoods . The better wild ediblesare blueberriesand their edible berry relatives , along with casual native passionfruit ( Passiflora incarnata ) .
Sometimes you get hold near edible cactus as well , plus some edible yucca , pawpawsand maybe even the occasional persimmon tree diagram .
Hawthorn may also be present , with their yield being good for jam andtheir trunks being a potential rootstock for pear tree . I also often get smilax and even savage grapes occasionally .
Before you cut anything down , hunt over and over again until you really know the state is a good idea .
In the article quoted earlier , UF also mentions these species as being in the Pine Flatwood ecosystem ( which engage perfectly with my own observations ):
As you probably noticed , most of these are not particularly eatable , though you may use up palmetto fruit if you really trust to do so .
you could usually cope to hound some game in the Pine Flatwoods , too . That ’s a bonus .
Florida Foraging Books
Les necessitate about Florida scrounge book so they can track down wild victual .
I advocate these :
The Shrubs & Woody Vines of Florida
Gil Nelson knows his stuff and as the publisher states,“more than 550 woody vine and shrubs native to Florida are cover in this soft - to - use subject area guide with lineage drawings and color photos . ”
Though not focused on edibles per se , The Shrubs & Woody Vines of Floridawill help you nail down almost everything you are likely to see , then you may go hit up the internet for edible , medicinal or practical uses for those plant .
To find just the edibles , I have two other mesmerism .
Peterson Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants Eastern/Central North America
Though not pore specifically on Florida ’s unique and wide - swan ecosystem , this bailiwick guide is helpful and cover sight of species .
As theEdible Wild Plantsdescription notes,“More than 370 edible wild plants , plus 37 vicious look - alikes , are described here , with 400 drafting and 78 color exposure showing precisely how to pick out each species . ”
The downside of this guidebook is that the illustrations and photo sometimes just are n’t enough for a dear ID . I own and employ it , though – and would want it with me .
Florida’s Edible Wild Plants
Though I still have n’t managed to get my own transcript ofFlorida ’s Edible Wild Plantsby Peggy Lantz ( dang it ! ) , I have a copy of the generator ’s previous oeuvre with Dick Deuerling titledFlorida ’s unbelievable Wild Edibles . That is another account book you should have if you have any interest in Florida plant foraging , and knowing its enjoyable nature and just info I have no problem recommend this second Christian Bible spate unseen .
This book comes highly recommended from multiple rootage and if I still lived in Florida , I would decidedly pick up a copy right now , before I even finished this article .
What CAN Be Done With This Land?
After part an intensive little food timber with cryptic mulch and amendment as urge by a laboratory , I would look further into what else could be done with these difficult pine flatwoods .
Though you may not care any or all of these choice , they would be prosperous and more suited to the ecosystem than traditional gardening .
You will be run with the food grain more than against it .
Beekeeping
Beekeeping is n’t really all that well-off anywhere any more , but the bee do like palmetto blooms and will revalue the nearby wetland . Some people do n’t care palmetto dearest but I do .
Blueberry Farming
blueberry like this surroundings , provided their etymon are n’t flooded . My acquaintance Bill Hall atB & G Blueberries in Ft . McCoyhas beautiful acres of berries grow on his U - pick located on cadaver and Amandine Aurore Lucie Dupin much like yours . He dig furrows and planted on mounds . His best fate has been with rabbit-eye blueberry types in that country .
Cattle Raising
These areas are skillful for crop animals than for most other forms of agriculture as goats and cow do decently on approximate areas . play Capricorn to lower brush and then planting smoke for cows can work and it will also ameliorate the territory over prison term .
Chickens
Chickens are a effective meat and ballock author to lift and they do n’t mind the pine flatwoods . I wouldkeep them in very good lodging , however , as there are many predator in Florida that will see freerange volaille as an all - you - can eat up counter .
Pond Gardening
Malanga , taro , cattails , duck white potato , kangkong and even the terrifyingly invasive water jacinth can be utile metal money , though I would n’t introduce the last two on purpose as that ’s … illegal . If you have deep enough areas or can dig them , I would definitely look into stocking with wolffish and bluegill for well-heeled - to - advance food . you may also gothe hot bathing tub pond routefor smaller horticulture spaces .
Pine Logging
There ’s a cause Florida farm a fate of pine timberland . It has a lot of areas like yours that are well - suited to pine tree diagram . Dedicating a few acres to this renewable resource is n’t a high-risk idea and it ’s a tenacious - term monetary investment funds that takes little workplace once install . Or so I have heard , since I have never tried farming true pine myself since I lack the infinite and soil .
What Edible Plants Might Work?
Try the following and see how they do :
Loquat
Persimmon(Native and Japanese )
Sparkleberry , Rabbiteye and Native Blueberries
Black Cherry
Pecan(on higher spots )
Chestnut(on gamy pip )
PawPaw(Asimina parviflora )
Spineless Prickly Pear(on drier priming coat )
Passionvine
Muscadine Grapes
manioc
Malanga / Taro(in wet areas )
George Sand Pears(“Pineapple ” in particular is good )
Mulberry
Black - eyed peas
Yard - long beans
Chaya
Bananas(in wet field )
Yams(planted to mount Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree )
Yaupon Holly(forhome - grown caffeine ! )
Conclusion
A few final thoughts :
This is elusive ground for traditional gardening , orchards and food wood . Only clear a bit and test . Do n’t dive all the way in and take prominent risk … rent nature prevail most of the ground until you know what will really do the right way . You ’ll belike require irrigation , mulch and peck of nutriment to get trees and plants establish . establish out from “ island ” of improved soils with happy plant community which you ’ve gotten to take .
If demand be , try container gardening with mulch , compost and decent grime .
Biochar may help , as may planting hatful of nitrogen - fixer and other nutrient accumulators you’re able to “ chop and dip , ” like Mexican sunflower ( annualTithonia rotundifoliaand the robust perennialTithonia diversifolia),Enterolobium(spp.),Leucaena leucocephala , Autumn European olive tree ( Eleagnus umbelatta ) , cassias and even the fearful “ mimosa ” ( Albizia julibrissin ) . These can be found heavily in expanse you hope to reclaim from the chaparral , then used to feed in the ground from above and below . you could also edit out back and drop the native bush plants and trees around your hope species and plant edibles .
Machete gardening !
respectable luck , Les . It may not be precisely the answer you hoped for but I require you to have the best chance of success . nifty work being a homeschooler – hurray for homeschooling !
May your thumbs – and your Pine Flatwoods – always be green !
- * *
Finally , I do in - depthdirect intellectual nourishment forest and Din Land consultinglike this for a fee , so if you are a nurseryman or hopeful nutrient forest plantation owner take this and require supporter on your own belongings – get in spot at the inter-group communication . My end is to preserve you raft of body of work and get you growing in the most appropriate way possible .
Update 11/3/16:
Linda Duever just shared a report on Palmettos she write – it ’s a must scan . Get the PDF here . I had no idea they could live for centuries or that so many animal rely on their fruit . Another affair to reckon as you plan your situation !
