Acorn 2015 working with pernnials

Working with Perennials

Fuel – Food - Medicine

The Homestead

Perennials on the Homestead

!   Mulch

!   Habitat

!   Food

!   Medicine

!   Fuel

!   Infrastructure

!   Shade

!   Nutrients/Compost Teas

 Ecosystem Services:

 Water filtration/Erosion Control

 Nectar Sources/Pollinators

 Carbon Storage

Plants that Grow Here   Fruits/Berries: Apple, Hascap, Highbush Blueberry,

Highbush Cranberry, Northern Kiwi, Hardy Pear, Asian Pear, Serviceberry, Currants, Elderberry, Plum, Sour Cherry, Rose, Hawthorn, Gooseberry, Raspberry, Strawberry, Chokeberry

 Nuts: Hazelnut, Chestnut, Oak, Walnut Family: Butternut, Black Walnut, Heartnut, Buartnut

  Perennial Veggies: Asparagus, Horseradish, Jerusalem Artichoke, Lovage, Good King Henry, Rhubarb

 Medicinal/Culinary Herbs: Thyme, Sage, Oregano, Winter Savory, Echinacea, Marshmallow, Evening primrose, Yarrow, Sweet Cicely, Comfrey

 Native Edibles/Forest Plants: Maple, Birch, Bluebead Lily, Nodding Onion, Cattail, Fiddle heads, balsam fir

  Fuel/Infrastructure/Support: Black Locust, Alder, hardwoods: firewood, fence posts, building materials

Design – Food Forest

Design – Diversity

Site Considerations  Wet or Dry  Hot or cold site/

microsite  Shady or Open/

Windy  Windbreaks  Cold air drainage  Soil pH  Natural

ecosystem/site scale/landscape scale

Design - Guilds

Guild pic

Guild pic 2

Design – Planting Considerations

Propagation - Seeds

Heartnut from Seed

Propagation - Cuttings

Propagation – Dividing Roots

Layering

Propagation - Nursery

Potted Plants

Wildcrafting – Highbush Cranberry

Wildcrafting – Bluebead Lily

Wildcrafting – Maple

Medicine Making – Teas, Tinctures, Salves,

Syrups, Candy, Coffee

Medicine Making - Plantain

Medicine Making - Dandelion

Medicine Making – St. John’s Wort

Echinacea

Fuel - Firewood

HOT WATER! HEAT! COOKING!

Maintenance - Mulch

Maintenance - Water

Maintenance – Pest Control

Re-cap   Lots of perennial plants to grow   Provides many functions on the homestead – mulch, building materials,

fuel, food, medicine, nutrients etc..   Take time to design and observe:

•  Food forests or small orchards •  Structural diversity – vertical layer •  Site considerations – exposure, wind, shade, frost, soil, drainage •  Guilds – companion planting •  Planting considerations – space, juglones, pollination, site and

microsite •  Design on paper and then implement

  Propagation •  Seeds – stratification, scarification, berries, heartnut •  Cuttings – hardwood, softwood, elderberry •  Root division – Echinacea, bee-balm •  Start a nursery

 Wildcrafting – wild plants  Medicines – teas, tinctures, salves, candy, coffee   Fuel – firewood, stacking functions  Maintenance – mulching, watering, pest control and fencing

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