Food forests are organic edible landscapes created in layers that mimic systems found in nature. We find the same over and understory trees, climbing vines, shrubs, herbaceous plants, and ground covers with root and fungal layers that are found in a woodland setting.

By mimicking the layers of a natural forest system, more plants can thrive together without competition. Again, this success is achieved by working with nature instead of against it. We aren’t attracting pests, causing erosion, depleting the soil of nutrients, and other problems caused by tilling the ground and forcing monocrops into rows. Nutrient accumulating ground cover plants protect and enrich the soil, suppressing weeds.

It might take a few years to mature, but once a food forest is established with an abundance of perennials and self-seeding annuals, it virtually takes care of itself. Any waste in the system (such as leaves and organic debris) is returned to the soil as fertilizer. The diversity of plants will attract beneficial insects for pollination (and avoid the pest issues that mono-cropping causes).

A food forest evolves over time. As the soil grows healthier, the best plants for the site thrive. As new plants are added and biodiversity increases, pest activity will be limited. Plant selections can be curated to provide both food and beauty throughout various seasons. A food forest can increase our health and food security—potentially leading to self-sufficiency (or even a surplus to share or sell) if that is what its caretaker desires.

The Fruitful Food Forest

In my own food forest, I have a lovely Live Oak canopy in the back that provides dappled light. Passionfruit vines grow up the oaks, to drop ripened fruit onto the ground. In a food forest, the canopy consists of any tall trees that provide shade and can be specific to your location, property size, and preferences. There are many options and I’ll go into more depth on that in future posts.

OAK LEAF TIP: A well-meaning neighbor told me that I should rake up my oak leaves fast — that they were acidic and would destroy my lawn. (Cue inner cackle. Yessss, kill the grass! Mwahahaaa... but no, they are fine for lawns if that's your thing. In fact, raking can actually do more damage to your grass.) Our large Live Oaks drop a massive load of leaf and organic matter in late winter and early spring. I rake up some of it for carbon in the compost area and leave a thin layer as mulch. They offer valuable nutrients to the food forest. Initially, the leaves are acidic, but as they break down they lose their acidity. They can also be raked into pathways and mowed over to suppress weeds. To use in compost, just layer them in — or shred or mow over them before adding them to the pile to help them break down faster. As for me, I just like to let nature do her thing as much as possible. Same goes for the oak flowers, or catkins, that drop. Be sure to wear a mask if you're an allergy sufferer. I try to get as much as possible into the compost pile, but some of it remains behind and thankfully, breaks down pretty quickly. 

Beneath them are understory trees that do well in dappled light. For me, that is Chaya tree spinach, starfruit, figs, and loquats along the edges. Beyond that, I’ve planted moringa, Chickasaw plum, curry tree, ice cream bean, soapnut, and a variety of citrus that can serve as a canopy to smaller plants. I also plan to add a cold-hardy avocado soon.

The shrub layer is made up of woody perennials. I’ve planted things like Barbados cherry, guavas, mulberry, blueberries, elderberries, Surinam cherries, rosemary, along the edge of the oak tree canopy.

Much of the herbaceous layers die back every winter here in zone 9a if I don’t cover them (and I’ll admit, I often do), but left to their own devices, the plants come back from the roots in the spring. Katuk, longevity spinach, Malabar spinach, and more come back year after year, providing healthy nutrition with so little effort. The banana plants are also in this group. My Truly Tiny bananas and miracle fruit are potted so they can be pulled inside or put in a greenhouse. Roselle and cranberry hibiscus are annuals here, so I save seeds or take cuttings for the spring.

Many of the lower layers can be intermixed and used in multiple applications. For ground covers, I’ll add sweet potatoes, mint, strawberries, perennial peanut, longevity spinach, and Malabar spinach. This important layer protects the soil and suppresses weeds. Gingers, taro, Solomon’s seal, sunchokes, onions, or sweet potato also make a great root layer. For vertical layers of vines and climbing plants passionfruit, Malabar spinach, grapes, chayote, and beans can be added here in north Florida.

If you’re able to lay down arborist mulch (highly recommended), the fungal layer will happen on its own and can provide daily amusement. I will add a future post on the entertaining fungus and slime molds I’ve found in my mulch. We embrace them as a sign of healthy soil. The mycelial layer is a network that transports nutrients to the roots of nearby plants. Scoop up a handful of healthy forest soil and this thread-like network is visible to the naked eye. This layer breaks down organic compounds, improving the soil for surrounding plants.

Aside from the perennial edible plants I like to focus on, I also add plants for chop and drop such as pigeon pea and Mexican sunflower and pollinator-attracting plants that I will cover in detail in other posts. If you are planning on starting a food forest, this is a great place to start.

Bring in pioneer plants that not only thrive in poor soil but help improve it for the food forest plants that will follow. Nitrogen-fixing pioneer plants are typically fast-growing with deep tap roots that mine subsoil for nutrients. Their roots aerate the soil and when we “chop and drop” their foliage, they act as fertilizer. These plants gather nitrogen from the air and make it available to other plants that don’t have those capabilities. They can provide shade for delicate plants and even act as a trellis for vining plants. Here in north Florida, some great nitrogen-fixers include pigeon peas, velvet bean, cowpea, leucaena, goumi, cassia, moringa, and Mexican sunflower.

PRO TIP: Be sure to set up a system for harvesting rainwater, as rainwater gathers nitrogen as it falls though the atmosphere and makes it available to plants in a form they can easily absorb. Rainwater will actually stimulate more plant growth than water from other sources.

In an upcoming post, I explain the first steps to building a food forest—the things you can do while you’re still in your observation phase. It’s actually more fun and challenging than it sounds, so be patient and don’t skip these important steps.

Dream, but be flexible in your vision. Things will surprise you in both good and negative ways. Things will also change. We have to adjust to the eventual outcomes and tweak as necessary. There will be small failures, but there will be many more successes. Our designs will evolve over time and throughout the seasons and changes in climate.

Just start. Get your hands in the dirt. It’s healthy for you.