The Secret to Food Forest Success: Permaculture Tree Guilds

Every tree desires the perfect companions. They don't like to hang with just anyone. They've all got their favourites. Read on to learn the ins and outs of tree guilds.

We first laid eyes on our property in 2012. It was an overgrown vacant piece of land with some trees and shrubs scattered randomly about. We have a cosmic attraction to chaos, so it was love at first sight. Before we even made the offer to purchase, we identified the most obvious larger tree species, so we knew what we were dealing with. The mature black walnuts located on the west side were the catalyst for our entire plan and project. They sent us on a never-ending journey to discover permaculture, food forests, and urban farming.

Of all the diverse tree species dwelling in our historic neighbourhood, we were inheriting these beasts? I'd stored a useless bit of trivia in my mind, from where and when I can't recall – this is how my mind works. Sometimes the useless and random facts suddenly become valuable and relevant. And this was certainly the case. I digress.

My memory told me that black walnuts were divas and required careful planning if you wanted to peacefully cohabitate with them. We knew we wanted to preserve as many of the original trees as possible during our home design and build, so we began our quest to know all and everything about these infamous giants. After a quick Google search session, we learned that every tree species has a specific set of companion plants that are more compatible than others. This is called a tree guild.

There are guilds for oaks, maples, fruit trees, the list goes on and you get the point. Now, lots of trees will let you get away with planting just about anything around them with little trouble. But not this tree, thanks to a little demonic chemical it produces called juglone. It's like poison to many plants. It either zaps them instantly after planting or causes a long, slow, and torturous demise. The list of plants to avoid is much, much longer than the list of plants that thrive near a black walnut. And unless you plan to become a serial plant murderer, you'd be wise to do some research before investing your time and money.

Here is where the secret wisdom is revealed. All permaculture gurus know about tree guilds. Most orchard farmers are masters of their guilds. And you can become a master too. There are loads of websites and books where you can find diagrams and lists of the best plants to choose for your tree guild. Having a basic understanding of why you're choosing certain plants will help you make your selections.

Basically, a tree guild is like a self-contained mini ecosystem. You're building layers of protection and enhancement for the benefit and health of all the plants and animals living inside of it. Think of it like a symphony, with all the instruments working together to create a beautiful masterpiece. The phrase 'food forest' crosses over here, so don't be afraid to call it that. Yes, that's right. We're building a food forest and a tree guild at the same time. Let's stay focused, here, folks. This is a diagram from TCPermaculture.com.

Here are a few examples of the purposes for different plants:

· Your large main tree will, among other things, provide shade and support.

· The smaller trees and shrubs, like fruit trees, will provide food for animals like birds and other wildlife (and humans too).

· You'll need soil-building plants, like comfrey, that can add nitrogen and other nutrients back into the ground.

· Different flowering and herbaceous plants will confuse pests and draw beneficial predators and pollinators.

· We don't want the soil to be bare, so we can add ground covers to retain moisture and stabilize everything.

· At and below the surface, it's good to have fungi and root vegetables.

· And let's not forget the vines. Vines add another dimension to the overall success of the guild that sends it right over the top. Sometimes literally.

Some trees can pose quite a challenge to backyard farmers, and I'll admit we haven't fully committed to our black walnut guild. With an enormous amount of ground to cover and easier jobs to tackle, the west side of our plot will be the last obstacle we face. But with a few years of experience in our back pocket, we're confident and ready to march head-on into the fire. And hey, for now, we're content to experiment with cooking up some black walnut syrup. It tastes exactly how it sounds: like sweet liquid infused with roasted walnut. It's divine and don't ask me to share.

To learn more about permaculture tree guilds or food forests, visit these links or send us a message. We'll be glad to help.

https://midwestpermaculture.com/2013/04/plant-guilds/