The Foodscape Revolution. Brie Arthur
and how much, which is why the recommendations in the soil test are important.
I don’t want you to freak out, though. If you were planning on gardening without much math, you can – for the most part. If you start noticing weirdly-colored leaves or plants that aren’t producing fruit, it is possible that the problem is in the soil and it’s something that can be corrected with the right information. So, why not start with the right information and try to head off a few issues before they appear?
Once you have the soil test results, you can prepare the soil. I recommend starting by adding compost to the top of all beds where you’ll be growing edibles. Spread compost to a depth of 4-6 inches. Here’s where you have to do more math (sorry!).
To figure out how much compost to buy, multiply the length of the bed (in feet) by the width of the bed (in feet). If you have a 4×10 bed, that’s 40 square feet. Compost and mulch is, however, sold in cubic yards. To calculate the number of yards you need, follow this formula: multiply bed square feet × inches of compost depth × 0.0031. This will give you the number of cubic yards needed. For example, for 5 inches of mulch, you would need .62 cubic yards (that’s 40 square feet times 5 inches times 0.0031).
You do not have to till or dig the compost into the planting bed. The earthworms will take care of incorporating it. If you’re planting closer to the street in foodscape Zone 3 (see page 22 and next page), you can mulch just around the plants, instead of spreading it across the entire bed.
If you need to incorporate lime or fertilizer, now is the time to do it. Sprinkle it over the compost and rake it in to mix it a bit. These amendments may need to be added yearly, but also get a soil test before adding ingredients that will influence the pH reading.
Decide on Plant Placement & Spacing
When creating a new foodscape bed from scratch, remember to factor in the eventual mature size of any trees or shrubs you plant, including the shade that will be cast by the tree canopies. Because most edibles need full sun, you will likely be planting more edibles when you first install a new bed than you will 10 years down the line. If you don’t want to, or can’t, fill in all the space in your new bed at first, don’t worry. It will just look immature landscape, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
Draw a simple diagram to help you determine how many plants to plant. Make a scale that correlates inches to feet and draw circles for the trees and shrubs you’re planting. The smaller circles will be the size the plant is when it goes into the ground. The larger circles will indicate the eventual size of the mature plant, including the shade of the tree canopy. To learn the expected mature sizes of trees and shrubs, read the plant tags or research the plants online (it never hurts to do a little bit of advanced planning prior to going shopping!).
Note: As you plan your new bed, be sure to review the ratio of ornamentals to edibles for each of the three foodscape zones, on page 22.
Keep these ratios in mind when planning and planting:
Foodscape Zone 3 (farthest from the house): 80% ornamentals to 20% edibles
Foodscape Zone 2 (mid-yard): 60/40 ornamentals to edibles
Foodscape Zone 1 (foundation landscape): 50/50 ornamentals to edibles
Follow These Planting Tips
Planting trees and shrubs is easy! Follow these four steps and use this image as reference.
1. Dig the planting holes for trees and shrubs so they are twice as wide as the root ball and slightly less deep.
2. Remove the plant from its containers and test the planting hole depth. If the top of the root ball is below soil grade, add some backfill to the hole, press it down, and check the depth again.
3. Fill the planting hole with the same soil you removed. Do not mix in compost or soil amendments.
4. Mulch with compost and/or shredded hardwood mulch, taking care not to make a mulch volcano around the three or shrub. You really don’t want the mulch to touch the stem or trunk.
Water daily to establish the plant, counting to ten while directing the water at the root ball of each plant. You can gradually cut back watering to every other day, every few days, once a week, and then only if there isn’t rain for two or three weeks. I’d like to give you a foolproof watering plan, but it really does depend on the weather and how fast the plant grows roots. You never want the soil to be soggy and muddy for extended periods of time, but it should not be allowed to completely dry out for the first several weeks after planting.
Finishing Up
Edging the landscape bed gives it a nice, tidy look (popular with HOAs). You absolutely do not have to cut an edge in all of the beds, and you definitely don’t have to do it every week. However, water and mulch stay nicely contained in edged beds (a heavy rain can create a mulch river if there’s no edge to catch the mulch). You can rent a power edger once a year, hire a landscaper to edge, or you can cut an edge the old-fashioned way: with a shovel. If you choose to go that route, stand facing the bed with a flat-edge shovel. Push the shovel in at an angle and cut the sod so that the edge of the landscape bed slopes toward you.
Wine bottle edge created with leftovers from my frequent dinner parties.
I like to edge my foodscape beds in the back yard with wine bottles. You can create a single row of bottles stuck into the ground or build bottle “walls.” These walls will add up to five degrees of heat to the soil during the winter, which allows me to grow heading vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage without cover during the colder months of the year.
After you’ve edged the beds, spread a 2-3" layer of shredded hardwood bark mulch to help retain moisture, suppress weeds, and make it “pretty.”
Once the foodscape framework is planted, you’re ready for the fun part: adding edibles!
Three
JUST ADD EDIBLES
NOW THAT YOU’VE GOT an ornamental framework of evergreen trees, shrubs, flowering perennials and ornamental grasses, you can get to the good stuff: planting veggies, herbs, fruits, nuts and grains! Almost every type of edible can find a home in the landscape somewhere, but some plants are better suited for certain locations than others. In the garden, half the battle is planting the right plant in the right place. The other half is planting the right plant at the right time.
Seasonal Shuffle
I tend to grow a lot of seasonal annual vegetables and herbs because that’s what makes up the bulk of our diet. Sure, rhubarb is a perennial edible and will be there for you next year, but really, how much rhubarb can one person eat? I’m much more interested in selecting a few plant types and growing as much as I can of each of those foods so that I make a measurable dent in my grocery bill and my food miles.