Darren Doherty and I have been busy planting bare rooted trees over the last couple of days. We’ve been putting in Lombardy Poplars (Populus italica x), Black Mulberry (Morus nigra) and Honey Locust (Gleditsia triacanthos) along the two strip forest systems.

This presented an opportunity to rope Darren into another educational video.

This time, introducing his planting methods to those interesting in putting more trees in the ground. Darren demonstrates simple and economical methods of establishing trees with minimum work. Learn about stimulating soil, using compost and mulching your trees from a permaculture perspective. He also talks about the difference between feeding trees versus feeding soil, staking trees and reusing tree guards.

Join Darren Doherty on Taranaki Farm as he explains his process of staking out a forestry design. He details two new tree systems being developed on our farm. This video including the techniques and materials that he uses in marking out the final tree positions on the ground.

Enjoy.

I’m roughly three fifths the way through planting orchard #1 and Darren visits today with more bare roots trees for our strip and riparian forests.

I was quite challenged by my original bare rooted tree order, but this delivery takes the mulberry cake. 160 trees there abouts comprising, willows, poplars and mulberries and this is only a fraction of the 3,600 or so trees in Darren’s two system designs. Of course it’s all relative, and for many this planting is modest.

The trees were supplied by Valley Tree Nursery in Ardmona near Shepparton and represent great value. We’re very pleased with both the quality and the price.

Kudos to the nursery.

For those unfamiliar with the term “silviculture”, I’ll begin with a basic definition.

Silviculture is the art and science of managing a forest to maintain and enhance its productivity based upon the objectives of its owner and the ecological capabilities of the land.

Darren Doherty is hard at work over in our Black Wattle (Acacia mearnsii) and Sugar Gum (Eucalyptus cladocalyx) plantation which he designed and planted back in 1999. It’s pruning time for these trees, and so I popped by today to learn some more about silviculture and tree maintenance.

Darren is a fine educator, and conducts a variety of courses ranging from keyline design to silviculture, permaculture, earthworks and more.

So I’ve put this short video together in which he offers an introduction to tree pruning in silviculture. Also featured is a brief segment on the use of our Caravaggi Bio 150 wood chipper / hammer mill that we’re using to process the pruned branches. If you’re interested in learning more about Darren, visit his website at www.permaculture.biz.

Enjoy.

Having collected the bare rooted fruit trees earlier today, I’ve burnt a considerable amount of midnight oil laying out the orchard on paper. Taking into consideration, the pollination needs of the trees, shape, size and pests I’ve drafted the following planting plan. I’ll use this layout as I guide when I start planting the trees tomorrow.

The orchard is divided into two sections.
For better legibility, click either orchard layout to enlarge.

After many delays and false starts, I was finally able to collect my bare rooted fruit trees this morning. These are for our home orchard. Listed below are the trees that I’m planting this year.

Apple : Gala	Chestnut : Di Coppi Marone	Pear : Beurre Bosc
Apple : Snow Apple	Chestnut : Emerald Gem	Pear : Red Sensation
Apple : Red Fuji	Peach : Red Noonan	Nectarine : Goldmine
Apple : Sundowner	Peach : Elberta	Nectarine : Fantasia
Apple : Cox Orange Pippin	Cherry : Stella	Quince : Smyrne
Apple : Granny Smith	Almond : California Papershell	Plum : Green Gage
Apple : Jonathan	Almond : IXL	Plum : President
Apple : Pink Lady	Almond : Self Pollinating	Plum : Prune D’agen
Apple : Golden Delicious		Plum : Coe’s Golden Drop

Here they are, shown in the trailer, along with the tagasaste, tree ties and stakes.

And in their temporary resting place - the wing of our hexagon garden.