Context: Transformation of a neglected old citrus orchard into a productive, diverse food forest using syntropic agroforestry.
Purpose: Serve as a demonstration site and living nursery to educate and expand local agroforestry systems.
Started: The transition began in 2019, with a focus on permaculture initially.
Background: Speaker's educational background in Ecology and Environmental Science, which complements the ecological approach of syntropic agroforestry.
Challenges and Solutions
Initial State: Orchard neglected with trees overwhelmed by grass and lack of productivity.
Initial Strategy:
Began interplanting fruit trees among existing ones.
Efforts were scattered and inefficient.
Applied companion planting, but success was limited without including nitrogen-fixing pioneer species.
Syntropic Journey
Pioneer Species: Introduced species like Mexican sunflower, eucalyptus, acacia, and bonagrass which improved early successional stages.
First Success: Transformation of a single row into an early succession forest, showing significant improvement.
Expansion: After initial success, began expanding more aggressively, with plans to continue into new blocks.
Key Concepts of Syntropic Agroforestry
Ecological Succession: Utilizing natural succession processes to create productive systems.
Diversity and Succession Stages:
Emphasizes diverse planting throughout succession stages from annuals to long-lived perennials.
Example crops: Tomatoes, corn, avocados, Macadamia, and support species like tree Lucerne and Mexican sunflower.
Importance of support species for building natural fertility and creating conditions for successional progress.
Practical Aspects
Managing Diversity:
High diversity planting strategy to identify what thrives best.
Examples of edible varieties planted: Multiple banana and papaya varieties, figs, guavas, avocados, and more.
Emphasis on generating a wide range of options to narrow down over time based on what grows well.
Row and Layout Design:
Importance of rows and management for ease over time.
Recommended north-south orientation for optimal sunlight exposure.
Strategy for propagating and acquiring plants to reduce costs, including propagation, seed trading, and limited purchase of grafted trees.
Lessons Learned
Early Challenges:
Underestimation of the importance of organic material and support species in the initial stages.
Learning the value of a more methodical, structured approach to planting and management.
Future Plans:
Continual expansion and experimentation with a focus on diversity and ecological practices.
Emphasis on learning and adapting strategies based on practical experiences and outcomes.
Recommendations
Start small and scale progressively, utilizing lessons learned to improve and expand systems.
Focus on diversity and propagation to manage costs and experimentation.
Design systems for ease of management and adapt based on site-specific conditions.