Subject: Re: fedges

From: [email-masked]
Date: Fri, 30 Apr 1999 10:05:47 EDT

In a message dated 4/30/99 6:52:27 AM, you wrote:

<<One of the projects we are starting here is a fedge,
and I'm trying to figure out what plants I should
include. has anyone had any experience doing this ?
This particular fedge should provide,
- Deer barrier help, at least 8 ft tall. It will
initially be between two 4ft tall wire fences 'till it
grows up.
- food/forage/habitat for bees, quail and other birds,
benifical insects, people forage too
- be fairly low maintenence once established. self
fertile, etc..

Filberts, and nanking cherries are a couple plants in
the raintree catalog that look interesting.

It is an open sunny location for most of the length,
towards the end it meets up with existing oak tree
area. We are located in the Santa cruz mountains, USDA
zone 9, 2400 feet, very rainy winters, and very hot
dry summers. 

If you have any ideas or recomendations of books to
consult, I'd appreciate it

Thanks

Deb>>

Well of course there are very many species that will do well. I'd look 
closely at two genera for nitrogen fixers:  Caragana and Elaegnus.  Both will 
respond to mulch for establishment.  What are your winter temperatures?  
Sounds like close to a Mediterranean climate and so I'd look at those 
species. Most of the crop species (e.g. figs, olive, carob) from that region 
like sun so would have to be on a sunny edge.  Soil pH?  Drainage? Fertility? 
 Do you want barrier plants, or just functional in other ways.  Trifoliate 
orange might do well, again on a sunny edge, though most citrus and near 
relatives take a bit of shade.  Do you get frost?  If not, coffee makes an 
nice interior plant,, being shade tolerant and all.  There are species of 
amelanchier that could do well, but these are also sunny edge species.  
Jujube is well suited, being a good barrier plant and both flood and drought 
tolerant.  (Most of the drought tolerant plants like irrigation while getting 
established and really benefit from mulch, even the most tolerant of drought.)

Are you too cold for the mesquite genus.  It has a number of species, but 
I've never had the need to look into them.  Cacti will be good low in the 
fedge, particularly opuntia spp as they make good eating as nopalis.  They 
will fruit in sun but take a surprising amount of shade if all you want is 
pads.  

Is 8 feet really the height limit?  Or could we plunk a few olives and carobs 
in the center than maybe go to 12 or 16 feet and build edges with lower 
plants.  

Some plants will form thickets all by themselfes--a number of plums do this 
and, again, jujube is a good one.  

How is the fedge oriented to the winter and summer winds?  Maybe we can get 
some vines in there.  Don't neglect brambles.  Generally blackberries on a 
shady edge (or open interior), raspberries on a sunny edge, and black 
raspberries in mosit but well drained locations (probably not suitable in  
your case.) The entire rosa genus is at your disposal for this.  

It is not useful to become more specific than this without knowing the total 
design.  Will the fedge be oriented to trap winter snow (if any)?  How deep 
will it be?  How deep is the soil?  Is there water catchment and storage 
upgrade that can help during establishment years?  What native species are 
already present.  What zone is this with respect to the dwelling (if any)?  
Etc, etc., etc.  Function varies as to placement.  If the fedge is on contour 
it can be set up in a swale (assuming that the soil is sufficiently deep).  
These little design features are wonderful because we get to use everything 
in permaculture design in working them out.  (And if we don't, they really 
aren't permaculture, are they?)  

Best of success with your project.

For Mother Earth, Dan Hemenway, Yankee Permaculture Publications (since 
1982), Elfin Permaculture workshops, lectures, Permaculture Design Courses, 
consulting and permaculture designs (since 1981), and annual correspondence 
courses via email.  Copyright, 1998, Dan & Cynthia Hemenway, P.O. Box 52, 
Sparr FL 32192 USA  Internships. [email-masked]  

We don't have time to rush.

A list by topic of all Yankee Permaculture titles may be found at 
http://csf.colorado.edu/perma/ypc_catalog.html
Elfin Permaculture programs are listed at the Eastern Permaculture Teachers 
assn home page: http://home.ptd.net/~artrod/epta/eptahmp.html

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PS  We will be teaching a 10-day intensive design workshop somewhere in your 
general vicinity in August?  Want to host a weekend fedge-design workshp?