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Episode-1270- Food Forest Questions and Answers – Part Four

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Four weeks ago I did a show called Food Forestry and How it Actually Works. In that show I asked for specific food forest questions. The response was so heavy that a three weeks ago I did Episode-1251- Food Forest Questions and Answers – Part One and wasn’t able to cover all the questions by a long shot. So two weeks ago we did Episode-1258- Food Forest Questions and Answers – Part Two and we were still far from done, so I did, Episode-1263- Food Forest Questions and Answers – Part Three.  Even with that we still have more questions, a lot of them and some very good ones.

Given the huge volume of questions it is clear there is a tremendous amount of interest in this topic and there should be. Nothing can provide the sustainable food and resources like a well managed forest be it small or large.

If you didn’t listen to the first four shows, you might want to do so before listening to this show. The reason being is that this show is a direct result of questions that I asked the audience to send me at the end of the first show and the answers given on the next two. Hence much of what was covered there I will be assuming you have already heard today.

The reality is a food forest is both simple and quite complex at the same time. The complexity is based on the system that develops, the massive numbers of interrelationships and the fungal networks, guilds, etc that are formed.

Join Me Today As I Answer Your Questions Including…

  • Is chop and drop selective pruning or cutting to the ground
  • Do you cut up branches into small parts with chop and drop
  • What about attracting wildlife like snakes into forest litter
  • Where exactly do you drop the chop
  • Should you spread wood chips on pasture (probably not)
  • What should you do if your house is on your properties southern edge
  • What are some ways to make a hot micro climate
  • Broadcasting seed over a burnt area and dealing with birds
  • Thoughts on integrating hugul beds and swales
  • Are there “dwarf” nut trees or can you make your own
  • How do you choose food forest species
  • Choosing cover crop mixes, no Lawton’s mix isn’t a secret, Sepps is, I don’t care though
  • When you clear scrub forest to create food forest how do you cut the existing trees
  • To prune or not to prune, is that even the question
  • My final discussion on mosquitoes and I mean it, NO MORE, stop freaking the hell out folks!

Resources for today’s show…

Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon. Also please enter our listener appreciation contest and help spread the word about our show. Also remember you can call in your questions and comments to 866-65-THINK (866-658-4465) and you might hear yourself on the air.

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Comments

Episode-1270- Food Forest Questions and Answers – Part Four — 10 Comments

  1. Regarding the sun, this is exactly why its my #1 issue right now to cut down these pines which are blocking the sun for all the best locations. My garden which should be AWESOME right now, it just isn’t growing because they’re not getting nearly the direct sun. All I need is a few feet of canopy dropped and they’d be good. Therefore, all those trees will be replaced with species that are just not going to grow 30-40 foot tall.

    • Adding to the zone climates. Pointing south east or having your south east open (for cold sensitive plants) is bad bad bad. (South west is PERFECT). If you really clear and open up the South East, the early morning sun will hit sensitive plants with a freeze when it wouldn’t normally.

      Another thing for us in the edge of the Sub-tropical getting decent sized mass objects to radiate just the tiniest bit of heat definitely helps those very frost sensitive plants (like bananas). Eventually if I can decide where, I’m going to build some sort of brick wall, or something along those lines (we don’t have big rocks so thats a no go), and line up bananas. I’m also considering how I might be able to stack them on the south western edge of a forest.

  2. Jack, I respectfully wish to point out that the temperature within ice, or within snow is only 32 degrees Fahrenheit IF the ice and snow are at equilibrium (just at the point where melting is occurring). It kinda sounded like you said it always was 32. Coating something in ice or snow (or foam or fiberglass for that matter) will only slow it’s return to ambient (surrounding) temperature. Put a snowball in a freezer at 20 below and in a few hours its interior temperature will be 20 below. Take two lemons. Wrap one lemon in snow and stick in in a freezer at -20 beside the naked lemon. The surface of the lemon will melt the snow around it and it will remain at 32 for a while until the temperature of the lemon falls below 32, then the melting at the surface of the lemon will cease and the lemon will freeze firmer than your opinion on possibility of our government correcting itself. Both lemons will freeze, but the one in the snow will take longer due to the insulation of the snow. At the end of several hours, the interiors of both lemons will be 20 below. What is different about insulation by snow is that it also works by phase change (from a solid to a liquid). Most insulating substances simply adopt the temperature of everything at their location, with the fibers and trapped air closer to you at your temperature and the fibers away from you maintaining the ambient temperature. However, since ice is melting at 32, it doesn’t work that way. As long as the insulated object is producing heat (like a human or a human with a fire in an igloo) the interior surface of the snow remains at a relatively warm 32 reducing heat loss by radiation (which if memory serves) is proportional to the fourth power of the difference in temperature. That wouldn’t help if that 32 degree water was right up against your skin, but would make the interior of the dwelling feel a lot warmer than the cold night sky. Well that was longer than I wanted, delete the comment if you wish. Keep up the good work and keep educating us all. I am waking up slowly but surely. Respectfully, Slim.

  4. now see.. what we need is a wiki or something that says what woods you can use in a woody bed.. and if you have to worry about mosquitos in a swale

    😉

  5. Can I ask what is up with the “dislikes” for the food forest shows? The gardening and permaculutre aspect is one of the main reasons I started listening to Jack. I am just curious as to why people seem to dislike these types of shows more then the others?

  6. But won’t the swells breed mosquitos? (just trying to get a rise out of Jack.. , reminds me of the good ol’ Ass Clown days..)

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