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Today I’m sharing my goji berry guild. For those not familiar, a guild is a neighborhood of plants that support one another, and specifically a main fruiting shrub or tree. In a guild system plants have different roles like nutrient accumulation, fixing nitrogen, a chop and drop mulch, weed suppression, pollinator attraction and pest or disease prevention.
For my goji berry I planted yarrow for mining nutrients and attracting pollinators. I have lavender for beneficial insects and repelling other unwanted critters. There’s shallots and evergreen onion hiding in there for pest prevention. I’ve planted comfrey just across the path for chop and drop mulching and nutrient accessibility, while anemone suppresses weed growth while bringing in more beneficial bugs.  Many of us growers are familiar with the concept of amending soil. Adding compost annually or even twice annually increases the amount of organic matter. In other words, it gives us new and more soil to work with. Added compost improves soil tilth, contributes nutrients (which eventually liquefy and become readily accessible to the plant over time), and increases all that good bacteria and protozoa which contributes to the greater mycorrhiza network. Good soil, in short, results in healthy plants. Strong, thriving plants are able to not only produce more nutrient-dense food but are also able to better protect themselves from pests and even some forms of disease. Did you know that a healthy tomato plant, for example, can release enzymes into its leaves when it detects caterpillars are eating its foliage? The enzymes are intense—they influence the caterpillars to eat their own kind, rather than feast on the tomato leaves. The caterpillars become cannibals and leave the plant alone. It’s true! Wild, right? But a tomato plant can’t perform this mind-blowing function if it’s not healthy enough to do so. And that’s where soil health comes in. I add compost to my growing spaces every year but I also started working with cover crops. Cover crops are the “green manures” of the plant world for the nutrients they add to the soil. Just like amendments, cover crops can contribute all sorts of benefits to the Earth. These crops aren’t grown for us to harvest and eat but rather they complete their entire lifecycle within the soil. They are planted for the sole benefit of soil enhancement. Some cover crops add nitrogen like vetch or clover. Other cover crops help to loosen compacted soils like field turnip or radish. Cover crops can be mixed to achieve multiple functions and reap maximum benefit like increasing nutrients, attracting or harboring beneficial insects, reducing erosion, making nutrients more soluble, and the list goes on.
Cover Crops in the Pasture When I learned about all of these efficient perks I asked myself, “Why grow grass in my grazing pastures when all that really does is prevent erosion? Why not gain more function and try forageable cover crops?” I started researching cover crops that could feed my animals and my soil at the same time. This became my introduction to sowing green manures. My plot of land is rich in weeds, clay soil, is prone to horrible erosion, and lacks nutrients. I also keep horses, sheep, and a flock of ducks, geese, and guinea fowl. I decided to research and cross-reference those findings to find a cover crop mix that would solve both my soil challenges and meet the nutritional needs of my animals. It sounded like a tall order but I was surprised to learn it wasn’t all that difficult to achieve. I found this table by the Rodale Institute to be a total game changer and I still reference it regularly.  After selecting which cover crops I wanted to grow based on their soil contributions, I started research on animal compatibility. I learned quickly that some cover crops are suitable for grazing specific species while others aren’t. Piper Sudan Grass is a great option but contains high amounts of Prussic Acid, specifically in the morning, which can be detrimental to the health of horses. Certain types of clover are more prone to hosting a mycotoxin that causes salivation in horses. Finally I decided on a mix of triticale, annual rye, forage turnip, and Berseem clover for my fields. All would help my soil and feed my animals. For a few years I sowed my cover crops in early spring and late summer. Soil health does not improve instantaneously but rather takes years. My animals happily grazed the crops, and the soil little by little visibly seems darker, richer, and able to hold more water. If I could escalate the health and porosity of my compacted pastures, surely I could use them in my vegetable garden as well?  Cover Crops in the Garden
Permaculture and sustainable growers recognize the importance of keeping soils covered all the time, all year long. Mulches come in many forms such as tree leaves, straw, woodchips, chopped hemp, and more. These coverings help to retain moisture, suppress weeds, reduce erosion, keep absorbed carbon within the soil, and prevent the nutrients and beneficial bacteria that reside there from being cooked off by the sun. Cover crops not only perform all of these but as living mulches they attract beneficial insects, maintain the mycorrhiza fungi network during the off-season with their living roots, and add even more nutrients to the soil. Just like I did with my pasture spaces, I chose to focus on specific challenges and use cover crops to address those. I now sow a blend that I created which contains hairy vetch, field pea, crimson clover, and triticale. This mix is suitable for my central New Jersey zone 7a climate, stays green during our cold winters, and performs the following:
To summarize, cover crops are plants we grow for the soil. A wide variety of cover crops can be chosen to perform a wide variety of tasks. There’s an excellent book by Gabe Brown called Dirt to Soil, and he’s a huge proponent of growing as many cover crops in once area as possible. I highly recommend this book along with the research and easy-to-use chart published by Rodale Institute if you’re hoping to improve your soil quality. I also have a chapter in my book, The Sustainable Homestead, dedicated to pastures which references cover crop-animal species compatibility. It may sound intimidating at first but just like we select crops to grow for their yields or flavor, we can select green manure for their individual functions too. Thanks for reading! Note: If you’re unsure about where to gather data from, check out my class on Substack.
It’s time to start gathering your data so you can make appropriate and informed decisions. The cool thing about permaculture is that the answers are already there. We just need to know how to read nature’s information. The biggest thing that turns off folks about practicing permaculture? It’s not easy. There’s not a one-size fits all solution about anything. That’s the kicker about this practice—you have to do the work and know your land in order to implement solutions designed specifically for it. Every idea, intention, and execution is totally customized and 100% created to suit the exact site you’re working on. But this is also why it works. You’re not retrofitting someone else’s solutions and trying to mold or shape them to suit your needs. So with all that said, it’s time to start gathering your data so you can make appropriate and informed decisions. We’re going to dive right into collecting information for your site in this video. A Brief Intro to Phenology Are you familiar with the concept of Phenology? Phenology is the study of patterns in nature regarding weather and its relationship to plants, animals and insects. For generations folks have taken note of recurring, cyclical behavior between our seasons and plant and animal life. For example, did you know that Japanese beetles tend to arrive annually just as the Morning Glories (Ipomoea purpurea) begin to open? Another adage is that a prolific berry season in the summer means a rough winter ahead. Frogs are said to call louder right before a storm thanks to the change in barometric pressure, while bats are said to fly during the day right before a hurricane. I am absolutely fascinated and enthralled with the connectivity of nature’s elements and I’ve been studying them for quite some time. Rather than focus on a month or even a specific week of a calendar year for planting, students of phenology tap into the natural world right in their own backyards, observing the events taking shape in their very microclimate. It may surprise you that the daffodils which are blooming in your yard or growing space may not yet be appearing in the next town over. Shouldn’t we be planting crops based on the behavior of our own growing spaces? Phenology relationships initiated planting times before seed packets and weather forecasts were prevalent and readily accessible. While seed packets certainly offer a general idea as to your planting times (typically in spring we are told to start many crop seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before our last date of frost), you can get hyperlocal, microclimate-specific planting cues by watching what’s blooming outside your front door. Watch bulbs as they emerge, trees as their buds swell, migratory birds as they reappear, and when insects re-emerge from their overwintering nests. This is the language Mother Nature speaks to tell us when to plant our crops.  Snowdrops emerge in late winter, a much needed first food source for native pollinators and honeybees. Personally, I mark the appearance of snowdrops (Galanthus) as the inception of my annual phenology calendar. I know that shortly thereafter showy crocus will sprout and bloom, which tells me it’s time to plant spinach and radish. Glorious, bouncing daffodils follow the crocus signaling the time is right for direct sowing beets, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage. I’ve listed more planting relationships for you below. A quick note, that tender annuals are certainly more fragile than our native, perennial plantings so practice caution and patience if you feel Mother Nature’s signals are too early to act upon just yet. While these guides have served growers and farmers for years and years, they are just that—guides. They are not hard and fast rules to follow. When Crocus Bloom Direct sow radish, kale, chard, and peas Upon Daffodils Blossoming Direct sow beets, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage As Forsythia Flowers Direct sow onion sets and lettuce When Dandelions Bloom Sow potatoes As Maple Tree Leaves Unfurl Plant out new perennials When Apple Trees Blossom Plant out cucumbers, bush beans, and squash When Lily of the Valley Blooms Plant out tomatoes As Apple Blossoms Fall Plant pole beans, corn, second succession of cucumbers, basil and marigold Upon Iris and Peony Bloom Plant out eggplant, peppers, and melon Creating a Phenology Wheel If you are a student of Phenology, you are likely already familiar with the concept of the Phenology Wheel. These circular diagrams contain notations on relationships between plants, animals, insects, and weather. Journaling these observations is an excellent way to document and keep record of the events occurring in your microclimate as a reference for following seasons to come. I personally keep two Phenology Wheel systems; a month-by-month wheel, and a daily wheel. The daily wheel allows me to record anything I find relevant to that particular day and what’s happening within my surroundings. Let’s take this month of February as a demonstration. I’ve made notations for when I started seeds, when I tapped trees for sap (late this winter), the high and low temperatures for each day, the phases of the moon—and the appearance of snowdrops should be within this month too! Then there’s the month-by-month wheel which is a place for me to summarize the events throughout the year. This visual is simply an overview of natural occurances. Above: My personal Phenology Wheel journal. The left image is the month-long wheel where I make daily notations. Other observations and markings are on the margin. The yearly wheel (right side image) allows me to add events month-by-month in a summarized fashion. I add events as we go throughout the month.
I am a graphic designer by trade and love to use visuals, drawings, and journaling as a means of record keeping. If you’re a creative soul like myself, I encourage you to make your own Phenology Wheel. You can download my free printable I’ve uploaded on my website. Please share your wheels in progress with me as you get going—I’d love to see! I wish you happy planting, and a growing season full of abundance. 
While there is nothing wrong with using bamboo for trellises and stakes in the garden, I’m a big believer in using what you have. Today I am harvesting the stalks from my sunchoke plants to use as a support for next year‘s crops.
Sunchokes reach somewhere between 10 to 12 feet tall, so I will be cutting off the top half of the stalk where the blossom, foliage, and skinnier/weaker stem portion reside. I am cutting the base of the stalk at the soil line above the tuber. Discarded plant material like the tops or stalks that are deemed too slender/weak to use can be composted. To store my sunchoke stalks, I will be keeping them inside of my barn throughout the winter. Though as an experiment I left a couple of stalks outdoors throughout last winter and—still—they did not rot, I recommend storing in a dry place for longevity. ABOUT SUNCHOKES
If you are interested in growing your own sunchokes I have tubers available on my website. Creating a Sustainable Garden with Rotting Logs and Woodchips on the Permaculture Homestead10/29/2024
In nature we see rotting logs on every forest floor. These fallen trees provide shelter and food to insects, small critters, and mushrooms. They contribute to the greater mycorrhizal network, add nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium to soil, and provide a place to grow a mushroom crop. Rotting logs and large wood chunks can be a great addition to growing spaces and fruit tree guilds. There needs to be a Nitrogen to Carbon balance in any natural decomposition cycle. Carbon items like logs need nitrogen to break down. But already rotting logs requires less nitrogen and, therefore, will soak up less from tree soil. Add compost around trees in addition to green guild members to balance out nitrogen. Video Time Stamps: 0:00 The role of logs in nature 0:56 How logs decompose 1:52 Using rotted stumps on our homestead 2:37 Using Black Walnut wood (juglone concerns) 3:22 Spreading rotted log mulch in fruit tree guilds 4:40 Why I prefer rotted chips and wood for tree mulch 4:59 Moisture control with larger chunks of rotting wood 5:37 Maintaining soil nitrogen levels with guild member growth 6:18 Garden pro-tip Relevant sources and information:
Ecosystem Processes Related to Wood Decay Can I use woodchips from walnut as mulch in my landscape? Growing the world’s most expensive spice is easy and feasible in many climates. I’ve had great success with saffron here in NJ, zone 7, and am actually planting more today. I got mine from Tara at She’s Rooted Home: https://shesrootedhome.com
Saffron is grown by way of a corm. I have grown this without issue in one portion of my yard for three seasons. This year I’m planting more in an area with vole activity. I’m making and will be using a cage for protection. Here's the video time stamps if you're looking for a short cut in this tutorial: 0:00 Introduction to Saffron 1:12 Harvesting saffron 1:32 Growing saffron corms 1:58 Companion planting for saffron 2:45 Making a vole-proof crop cage for saffron  Calendula is well known within the homesteading community for its medicinal properties. While beautiful and certainly a staple for many home apothecaries, this plant pulls its weight in the garden too. It's not traditionally considered a permaculture powerhouse, however, calendula definitely has much to offer.
Varieties shown: Ivory Princess, Bronzed Beauty, Sunset Buff
 Many gardeners and growers hear the word "comfrey" and they run the other direction. Not to worry--the comfrey I am recommending and use commonly in my growing spaces is Russian Comfrey, a plant that produces sterile seed. This strain of comfrey does not spread nor become invasive but, rather, grows upright like an ornamental shrub. I use it heavily throughout my farm for its ridiculous amount of value and function. Comfrey is celebrated by permaculture growers around the world because it offers the following: NUTRIENT ACCUMULATION Comfrey has a strong and deep taproot system that mines nutrients from deep within the soil's sublayers. These roots draw those nutrients upwards, into more shallow soil layers, making them accessible for nearby plants. CHOP AND DROP MULCH Comfrey stores much of the nutrients that it mines in its leaves and stems. Combine this with the fact that comfrey can get tall and benefits from pruning. There you have the recipe for a perfect chop and drop plant. Simply cut the foliage back to an inch or so above the soil line and spread the leaves and stems as you would mulching straw over your growing soil. As the leaves decay they add organic matter back into the soil, attracting earthworms and other decomposers, and release their nutrients into the topsoil. MEDICINAL USES
If you practice herbal medicine or keep a home apothecary, there are loads of uses for comfrey. This plant has been used for centuries for inflammation, swelling, and its other many healing properties. POLLINATOR ATTRACTOR Comfrey boasts beautiful little bell-shaped blossoms in a pink-purple hue. These little flowers are hugely attractive and beneficial to honeybees and native pollinators. They also attract beneficial wasps and other predatory insects. Naturally, if planted in your garden, pollinators will be sure to visit food crop blossoms as well, increasing your crop yield. REPELLER Some folks have a difficult time with comfrey when it comes to contact dermatitis. The plants have fine hairs on their leaves and stems which can cause irritation. This is why many deer, rabbits, and other critters find it to be repulsive. When comfrey is interplanted with fruit and vegetable crops, it tends to deter wildlife looking for a snack. BIOMASS Comfrey grows quickly. I'm easily able to cut the plant back for use as a mulch three to four times in one season. The foliage is thick and this rapid production makes comfrey an excellent contributor of biomass (biological matter) to the soil when applied as mulch. FERTILIZER Compost tea is a popular method for fertilizing a garden without synthetic additives. The same approach can be taken with comfrey leaves. Simply chop and macerate comfrey leaves and place in a five-gallon bucket. Fill with unchlorinated water. Allow to steep for several days, until the contents are smelly and sludgy (gross, I know). This concentrate will need to be diluted to 1 part comfrey tea to 10 parts water. Use a watering can or weed sprayer to apply to your soil, stems, and plant leaves. WEED SUPPRESSION Due to the thick and full growth habit of comfrey, weeds are quickly and easily choked out. I use comfrey in my garden, in my tree guilds, and in my food forest growing spaces. Weeds have yet to grow up and through this hardy crop. PROPAGATION Comfrey is in demand as many growers turn to more natural methods of farming. Because comfrey is so vigorous, it can easily regenerate itself from a small root cutting. Simply digging up roots, separating them, and repotting can result in loads of new plants. This creates a steady supply for the homestead with plenty to sell for a profit. COMPOST HEAP ACTIVATION Because comfrey is so nutrient rich and an excellent source of biomass, it can contribute to the compost heap. When comfrey is included in the pile, some folks believe it actually heats up the entire heap faster, making compost more readily available in a shorter amount of time. It also passes all of the nutrients it has absorbed into the pile.  I grow lots of blossoms alongside my food crops. Rather than segregate food and flowers, they’re woven together. I use herbs and flowers often as companions interplanted with my food (you can find many posts in the "permaculture" and "growing" categories based on companion plant benefits and specifics). But in this post, I wanted to talk about my approach or method of gardening which is my "layered permaculture garden method." I call it a layering method because I sow calendula, for example, in the spring alongside veggies. As the first layer of veggies reach maturity, the second layer (the calendula) is still small but supporting the food crops. By the time spring veggies are spent and done, the second layer of flowers reaches full height. The second layer shrouds any gaps from the first layer, protecting the soil. This means I often plant veggies and herbs first and wait a week or two before adding in some flower varieties to fill gaps in the spring. This ensures the growth rate of the flowers doesn’t crowd out and suppress food crops.   As for layering a third and fourth planting, I absolutely do this come mid-summer. When I'm ready to plant for fall harvests in mid-July through August, crops like beets, carrots, fennel, greens, kale, broccoli, and other brassicas are inserted amongst the flowers. The permaculture benefit of planting seedlings this way is huge. Often the scent of many flowering herbs like oregano, lavender, nasturtium, basil, etc., is enough to deter cabbage moths and other pests. Conversely, beneficial insects are attracted to the blooms surrounding the crops, which increases pollination of veggie blossoms. Parasitic wasps are drawn to the garden and prey on any "bad bugs" loitering within. This leaves my new veggies protected while they grow. Cold loving flowers like calendula can be seeded as a fourth layer a few weeks after the third layer is planted.
As for the flowers that I choose, I go for self-seeding annuals for less work, like nigella, borage, chamomile and calendula. I heavily use perennials like lavender, non-invasive tansy, sterile comfrey, verbascum, speedwell, coneflower, foxglove, daisies, yarrow, rudbeckia, anemone, and roses to name a few. The benefits of perennials are many to the overall homestead ecosystem including increased carbon absorption by way of their woody plant tissues, their deep root networks which increase soil fertility, the fact that you don't have to replant them each year, the concept of them coming back and bigger and more full each season, and the many uses most of these perennials provide from edible rose petals to medicinal yarrow. |
Blog content is authored by Angela, founder and steward of The Arcadia Project.
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