Description
Within a 3-D electric deer fence at the most west portion of StellaLou lies our permaculture orchard. The 1/2 acre orchard has four swales and berms running on contour, generally, west to east. The slope faces south. The swales in the orchard capture and absorb the water effectively, maintaining reasonable water levels for the plantings while minimizing erosion. On each berm is a combination of fruit trees, shrubs, nitrogen fixers, brambles, and various other herbaceous plantings.
Process and Timeline
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Planning (2014): The first step was to observe the flows on the land and determine the best place to put the orchard. The gentle southerly facing slope on the west side of the lower field was chosen as it is up-slope of any pooling water and north of the shade from the woodlot. Research regarding plant species, spacing, and combinations were fully done to create the design (included in slideshow below). The mixed planting is intended to interrupt the movement of disease from one tree to another.
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Keyline (2014): We experimented with subsoiling along keylines throughout the entire area prior to digging berms and swales to encourage water to move gently through the landscape. Keyline design uses the natural ridges and contours of a property’s topography to slow, spread, and sink rainwater. We felt that this would complement the on contour swales and berms that we planned. The full process and concept is described in this blog post.
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Berms and swales (2014): This land was compacted and we chose to plant on berms to increase the depth of soil. We did some percolation tests to make sure on contour work would not be problematic in terms of holding water too long or flooding the plantings. We used a sight level method of flagging out the four contour lines on the orchard's slope. We used the front end loader to dig the swales and build the berms. We followed up with hand shoveling to refine the contour. Using a front end loader for this task is less effective than using an excavator but we used what we had.
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Fencing: We decided to use a 3-D electric deer fence which has been very successful. The fence, which is really two fences, was put in place and baited before any of the plantings went in. This fencing method takes advantage of the deers' poor depth perception. The following link goes through this decision and process in full detail: Orchard Fence
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Planting: We added soil amendments per soil tests and we planted cover crops followed by tree plantings. All of the plantings, aside from the moisture-loving alders, are planted on top of the berms. Replacing shrubs and trees that don't survive is still occurring, and experiments with grafting continue as well. It is quite beautiful to witness the evolution of the orchard to respond more and more to the specific needs and pressures of our local ecosystem.
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What We Have Learned & What's Next...
(2022) The orchard is demanding maintenance we have been unable to provide, mainly spraying for pest and disease. Weeds are also challenging in that (and seemingly every) space. We are now at a re-dreaming phase of the orchard where we are trying to figure out the best focus for our orchard with the least maintenance. Due to its lack of proximity to the dwellings on the land, it gets the least amount of attention.
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We are in the process of taking out our peach and hybrid plum trees. Without spraying they are not doing well in our climate.
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We would like to focus on what does well: some apples and pears, persimmons, black currants, mulberries, and rhubarb. New plantings will be added to soil that is double dug with added compost to assist them in this very rocky and clay based soil.
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We have grafted new apple trees. Some of our more mature apple trees need additional supports, they are leaning due to being planted on a berm.
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We are considering nut trees and even a possibility of pigs! It is re-dreaming time, so there is a lot on the table.
Plant List
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Honey locust (thorny)
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Seaberry (radiant, chuskaya, golden sweet)
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Plum (Imperial epineuse european, superior, black ice, cocheco, early laxton european, american, white ume, beach)
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Apple (dabinette, roxbury russet, golden russet, grimes golden, king of pippin, tompkins county king, royal limbertwig, yarlington mill, kidd's orange red, hewe's crab apple, wickson crab apple)
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Pear (seckle, magness european, warren, ashmeads kernel, kieffer, normanishen, harrow sweet european, plumblee
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Black currant (titania, minaj, coronet, chernaya lisovenko, consort, ben sarek, risager)
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Persimmon (saijo, fuyu)
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Goumi (sweet scarlet, carmine)
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Peach
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Rhubarb
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Peashrub
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Black raspberry
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Gooseberry
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Alder
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Dwarf cherry