Food forest fundamentals | Urban farming | Gardening Australia

Hannah demonstrates the food forest concept in her Hobart garden on Muwinina Country. She takes a multi-layered approach to her productive planting and mimics a forest ecosystem.

A food forest mimics the diversity of a natural forest where a variety of plants grow together as an ecosystem. By modelling this concept in the garden, plants grouped together complement each other, take advantage of niches and microclimates, increase biodiversity and ensure healthy soil and plants. And it looks beautiful. And part of it is about providing food to humans.

At Hannah’s place she is establishing a food forest on the pallet bank garden. It’s where she is layering fruit and nut trees with shrubs, groundcovers, vines, root crops and herbaceous plants.

00:48 | Food forest layers

In theory a food forest has seven layers: canopy layer (large fruit trees), understorey (smaller nut and fruit trees), shrubs (berries and large perennials), herbaceous (herbs and plants), rhizosphere (root crops), groundcover (clover and strawberries) and vines (climbing beans, peas etc.).

You don’t have to have all seven layers for the plants to benefit from each other though, as Hannah shows in her garden, where there isn’t room for a canopy. But each plant is still chosen to provide at least three uses in a garden - such as a plum tree providing fruit, food for the bees, plus wind shelter for other plants.

01:27 | How to plant a food forest

Hannah plants out a three-layer donut-shaped mini forest that can fit into a pot of small courtyard. She plants a lemon tree with warrigal greens in a circle around the base; this will spread down the slope creating a ground cover while providing fresh greens. Inside the warrigal circle she plants Sweet Alyssum flowers to attract pollinators and beneficial insects. The idea is to maximize production while minimising maintenance.

Featured plants:
Greengage plum (Prunus domestica cv.)
Lemon (Citrus cv.)
Warrigal greens (Tetragonia tetragonioides)
Sweet Alyssum (Lobularia maritima cv.)



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[Ferrat]

Great video.

We spent the covid lockdown here in Melb, digging up the entire front yard, and now have 7 dwarf fruit trees there. Along with blackberries, raspberries, watermelons, pumpkin and peas mingled in between.

What amazes me, is all the neighbours walking past with only positive things to say.

[Picci]

Love your garden, love even more your charming smile and the gentle way you explain things!

[craigmetcalfe]

Hi Hannah, thank you for your version of the food forest. It is my dream to have a food forest and since moving into my house which used to be owned by some real garden and food lovers, I have found that I have some of the layers of the classic 7 layer food forest already. I have a Macadamia tree as my canopy and a Lychee tree as my second layer. I am a fan of companion planting and you describe the harmony as well as I could as an amateur musician and gardener. I was only telling my wife last night that our garden is a Zen place which to me means that I need to feel relaxed and connected to the earth after working in my garden. I have seen a few of your videos now and noticed that you didn't have your helpers. The family that plays together stays together. Love your work and look forward to more of your guiding hand in the creation of my food forest.

[TheIslandFarmer]

Great Video! Permaculture food forests are the future and they're so fun!!!

[chantaltulliez]

Great video Hannah you make gardening look so simple...thank you so much

[monsurbanpatch]

I would love to see more food forest and permaculture videos.

[kmmndr_kn]

Omg, pollarded silver wattles that look 3+ years old! Wow! I've been thinking they must be the most prolific native nitrogen fixing pioneer tree in the temperate climate zone here, and seeing it in your garden gives me more confidence! Great work, thanks heaps!

[YalisCommunity]

Yeii for food forest! I love fruit trees and a great edible landscaping. Thanks for sharing the plant names I am definitely getting some sweet alyssum!

[Kangaroojumper]

Hi Hannah, thankyou for the information I have just finished my backyard which is more "traditional" veggie patch system so am now moving onto my front yard which will be more of a food forrest, however it's got a bit of a slope and is very heavy hard clay soil, so I'll be using raised beds and tiers to help soil quality and the dwarf trees spread their roots

[taitbrown]

My understanding is that the larger leaves of Warrigal Greens contain toxic oxalates (think rhubarb leaves) and need blanching/boiling before eating. I've also heard they're pretty invasive and can really get away from you.

[monsurbanpatch]

It's funny how the carrots roots aree at the same depth of the canopy tree LOL.

[lesliekendall]

Allysum small and compact ??? Not the ones I've grown! And a source says not to eat unless started from seed as store bought plants may have pesticides, etc on them.

[LureThosePixels]

Is this the same location as the "how to grow on a slope" garden

[captainsleeman]

Mint? Really? The mint will take over everything! You'll have to remove it, disrupting everything else.

[Kratkymethod]

Nice video! I’m doing a hydroponics giveaway if your interested