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Build a forest in your backyard

PostPosted: Fri Oct 25, 2019 7:26 pm
by everything


leave a little space for your baguazhang or taijiquan

Re: Build a forest in your backyard

PostPosted: Fri Oct 25, 2019 9:52 pm
by Ian C. Kuzushi
Pretty neat!

Re: Build a forest in your backyard

PostPosted: Sat Oct 26, 2019 8:13 am
by roger hao
Leaf cutter ants have deforestated a more than 3 foot diameter section of my backyard.
I - so far - have chosen ants over grass. What are they doing with the grass under ground?
They created trails about 2 inches wide and recently built 1 inch tall baskets around their
holes to protect from the rains. They are fascinating cause they work all day non-stop.

Re: Build a forest in your backyard

PostPosted: Sat Oct 26, 2019 8:41 am
by everything
Ants are amazing. I usually pour boiling water on the driveway hills. That will of course kill grass too

Re: Build a forest in your backyard

PostPosted: Sun Oct 27, 2019 1:30 pm
by Bill
roger hao wrote:Leaf cutter ants have deforestated a more than 3 foot diameter section of my backyard.
I - so far - have chosen ants over grass. What are they doing with the grass under ground?


(from the web).....
Leafcutter ants are often seen in lines, bringing pieces of leaves back to the nest. The leaves are used to feed fungus, which is grown by the ants in a special ‘fungus garden’ in the nest. This fungus provides food for the colony.

The fungus can’t survive without the ants, and the ants can’t survive without the fungus. This is known as a ‘symbiotic relationship’.

Re: Build a forest in your backyard

PostPosted: Sun Oct 27, 2019 5:19 pm
by grzegorz
Nice!

I have a fruit forest in my backyard and I can't imagine being without it.

A good escape too.

Re: Build a forest in your backyard

PostPosted: Sun Oct 27, 2019 5:45 pm
by everything
Oh that's cool, did you plant it? In the video above, they try to plant as much diversity as possible, including fruit trees. I love the idea of a mini food forest in my backyard.

Re: Build a forest in your backyard

PostPosted: Sun Oct 27, 2019 7:54 pm
by roger hao
I have banana -papaya-coconut that have matured and producing fruit
Thanks for the ant info - really strange that they have worn pathways
that look like mini cow or dear paths.
Also they carry the gravel from the nest about a foot away from their exit
and they have an exit hole and an entry hole.

Re: Build a forest in your backyard

PostPosted: Mon Oct 28, 2019 9:09 am
by greytowhite
The native desert trees are terrible for my allergies and I don't think I'd like my water bill to be that high...

Re: Build a forest in your backyard

PostPosted: Mon Oct 28, 2019 9:38 am
by everything
according to the video (using the miyawaki method), you can only use native-to-your-area species. in 2 years, it becomes self-sustaining like a natural forest - you don't water or weed or fertilize or otherwise maintain it. but if you're in CA with the allergies, doesn't seem like it'd be a good idea at all.

here's some before/after shots:
https://www.afforestt.com/results

Image

Image

Re: Build a forest in your backyard

PostPosted: Mon Oct 28, 2019 12:46 pm
by wayne hansen
Permaculture is the way

Re: Build a forest in your backyard

PostPosted: Wed Oct 30, 2019 2:11 pm
by wayne hansen

Re: Build a forest in your backyard

PostPosted: Wed Oct 30, 2019 3:51 pm
by everything
I don't really have a green thumb but I really want to do this...

Re: Build a forest in your backyard

PostPosted: Thu Oct 31, 2019 9:01 am
by wayne hansen
No such thing as a green thumb
It's just technique,desire and application

Re: Build a forest in your backyard

PostPosted: Sat Nov 02, 2019 11:48 pm
by grzegorz
For me there is nothing is more rewarding than growing food. For one you get to feed people and gift your fruit to family and friends which also reduces wasteful packaging and gasoline to and from the store not to mention the transportation of food from other states and countries which I mention since the interests seems to be helping to save the environment. Of course gardens and fruit trees pay for themselves over time. Not only do you save money you can also make money and sell your stuff on Craigslist if you desire.

Secondly there are several types of varieties of fruits and veggies you won't find in the stores which not only taste different but are sometimes even superior to the commercial varieties. The pomegranates I grow are better than the Wonderful for example which isn't bad but my varieties from Turkmenistan have softer seeds. My family and friends actually prefer another variety I have which are a type of sweet pomegranate which are not tart and taste nothing like Wonderful and more like candy. I had a co-worker tell me that before he tried one he thought he just didn't like pomegranates.

I think this video captures how growing things can change you. I know the more I grow the less I like to waste time with stuff that doesn't matter. Now years into it I think just about every day I eat something I grew. I also lost 20 pounds which is rare at my age.



Watch "Ron Finley: Urban Gangsta Gardener in South Central LA | Game Changers" on YouTube

https://youtu.be/7t-NbF77ceM

Sure enough he did a Ted talk too.



Watch "A guerilla gardener in South Central LA | Ron Finley" on YouTube

https://youtu.be/EzZzZ_qpZ4w