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The Survival Gardener

The Official Website of Author David The Good

Popular Posts

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Thai Black Banana Fruit!

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Creating a Food Forest in North Florida

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Seven Reasons to Start Growing Goumi Berries!

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Latest Posts

    Food Forest

    The New Alabama Food Forest

    by David The Good April 8, 2021
    written by David The Good

    Earlier this week I started planting a new food forest in Alabama. Though my land is rented, we really have no idea how long we’ll be here, so why not plant?

    Heck, I planted a food forest on the land I own in the Caribbean, not knowing I would be leaving it the next year. This is par for the course.

    But wandering aside, the new Alabama Food Forest Project will be an interesting one for multiple reasons.

    First, it’s colder than my previous projects by a half-zone. We’re not going to be able to do much with tropicals and will have to focus on temperate species.

    Second, we’re starting this project in an already wooded area instead of on a lawn. There is already a lot of fungi and organic matter in the soil, which should be good for young trees.

    You can see the beginning of the project in this video, which is too long and rambly, but people still seem to like it:

    Yesterday my brother Brian the Firefighter and I cleared a much bigger chunk of the area. The soil looks better than the soil in the garden, so hopefully the trees and plants we add will thrive.

    The canopy trees I’m planning include pecan, chestnut, mulberry and pear. Understory should be apples, peaches, goji berries, blueberries, blackberries, smaller mulberries, cassava and chaya. Nitrogen fixers include mimosa, black locust, Leucaena and Enterolobium and coral bean (if I can get some of the latter two). As I propagate T. diversifolia, I’ll plant them all around as well. The ground cover should be mostly pumpkins and sweet potatoes for starters.

    I may get a weed torch to control the return of the many Smilax plants from below – this area was loaded with vines and I have the scrapes on my arms to prove it. Torching them seems easier than trying to dig them all up. Digging is a nightmare with how many trees roots are in the ground. It’s like trying to dig through woven baskets.

    Unlike the grocery row gardens I’m building, this food forest will have more of a flowing, natural feel. I’m making it with what I call the “island method,” planting scattered tree guilds with paths in between. It should really take shape over the next few months. We have a lot of tree waiting to be planted – and plenty of seeds, too!

    Stay tuned.

    April 8, 2021 2 comments
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  • Plant ID

    What is this Mystery Plant?

    by David The Good April 5, 2021
    April 5, 2021
    Read more
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  • Announcements

    Resurrection

    by David The Good April 5, 2021
    April 5, 2021
    Read more
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  • Announcements

    Good Friday

    by David The Good April 2, 2021
    April 2, 2021
    Read more
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  • Announcements

    An Important Announcement

    by David The Good April 1, 2021
    April 1, 2021
    Read more
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  • Announcements

    Garden Tour, March 2021

    by David The Good March 29, 2021
    March 29, 2021
    Read more
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  • AnnouncementsArtBooks

    Back on Track with Create Your Own Florida Food Forest (2nd Edition)

    by David The Good March 25, 2021
    March 25, 2021
    Read more
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  • Food Forest

    North Florida Food Forest Pictures, 2021

    by David The Good March 23, 2021
    March 23, 2021
    Read more
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  • VideosYams

    BACK ON THE YAM TRAIN

    by David The Good March 22, 2021
    March 22, 2021
    Read more
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  • Terra preta

    Recreating Terra Preta in Australia

    by David The Good March 18, 2021
    March 18, 2021
    Read more
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  • Health

    Getting Stronger and Leaner

    by David The Good March 17, 2021
    March 17, 2021
    Read more
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  • CropsTomatoesUncategorized

    Ripening Tomatoes Early Before Frost

    by David The Good March 17, 2021March 16, 2021
    March 17, 2021March 16, 2021
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Florida gardening

A Visit to the Snyder Park Food Forest

by David The Good January 13, 2021

Back in 2019 I met Joan Starr at my gardening talk in The Great…

by David The Good January 13, 2021

A “Totally Crazy Easy Florida Gardening” Inspired Deep Mulch Garden

January 8, 2021January 8, 2021
by David The Good January 8, 2021January 8, 2021

David’s Beautiful Florida Food Forest Garden

November 9, 2020
by David The Good November 9, 2020

Terrie’s Florida Gardening Success

October 17, 2020
by David The Good October 17, 2020

Your Gardening Questions Answered!

July 31, 2019
by Steph July 31, 2019
View All

Garden design

Working in the Little Row Garden

by David The Good February 1, 2021

In my new video we take a look at the little row garden: You…

by David The Good February 1, 2021

Long-term Soil Improvement in Bad, Sandy Grit

January 19, 2021
by David The Good January 19, 2021

The Good Gardening Alley Food Forest System is Happening

January 14, 2021
by David The Good January 14, 2021

My As-Of-Yet-Unnamed AWESOME Gardening System

January 12, 2021January 11, 2021
by David The Good January 12, 2021January 11, 2021

Haven’t Lyrebirds heard of NO TILL???

January 6, 2021
by David The Good January 6, 2021
View All

Books

Back on Track with Create Your Own Florida Food Forest (2nd Edition)

by David The Good March 25, 2021

I have been spending this week working on the illustrations portion of the second…

by David The Good March 25, 2021

Soon, soon!

December 23, 2020
by David The Good December 23, 2020

The Ultimate Test is Upon Man – The Test of His Fitness as a Species!

December 7, 2020
by David The Good December 7, 2020

Writing Progress And Extra Energy

December 4, 2020December 4, 2020
by David The Good December 4, 2020December 4, 2020

Back to Work on CYOFFF!

October 5, 2020October 5, 2020
by David The Good October 5, 2020October 5, 2020
View All

Crops

BACK ON THE YAM TRAIN

by David The Good March 22, 2021

We’ll see how true yams grow in Alabama! I think they’ll do great, as…

by David The Good March 22, 2021

Ripening Tomatoes Early Before Frost

March 17, 2021March 16, 2021
by David The Good March 17, 2021March 16, 2021

Grow Grocery Store Sweet Potatoes with this One Weird Trick

March 9, 2021March 9, 2021
by David The Good March 9, 2021March 9, 2021

Seminole Pumpkin Dropping Fruit

February 12, 2021February 12, 2021
by David The Good February 12, 2021February 12, 2021

A Seminole Pumpkin Growing Tip

February 7, 2021
by David The Good February 7, 2021
View All

Encouragement

Making Christmas Cookie Ornaments as a Family

by David The Good December 18, 2020

Yesterday Rachel and the children made gingerbread cookie ornaments for our Christmas tree. As…

by David The Good December 18, 2020

Improving the Ground One Ground at a Time

December 16, 2020
by David The Good December 16, 2020

Happy Thanksgiving!

November 26, 2020November 24, 2020
by David The Good November 26, 2020November 24, 2020

Stay Positive

November 18, 2020
by David The Good November 18, 2020

Encouragement

November 3, 2020
by David The Good November 3, 2020
View All

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