trends & technology
I make salads that include young curly dock
leaves, purslane, watercress, sedums, nastur-
tiums, calendulas, chickweed, wild scallions, wild
sorrels and mustards, and other locals in spring.
Trees are part of nature’s systems. So why not
make them part of your own? Growing fine fruits
and nuts can be as easy as choosing good stock,
planting at a time and place that will meet tree
needs, and keeping
an eye on saplings
for a few years.
You may need deer
protection too. Our
little apple tree—a
gift from a friend
eight years back—is a joy,
giving us all the crispy sweet
fruit we can consume, plus some
for the squirrels and deer too. We
are drowning in raspberries in June, figs and
blackberries in August, and plums, plus a
second crop of raspberries, in September,
but we never have enough blueberries,
pears, or cherries. I wish we’d planned with a
bit more foresight, but if you’re just starting out,
you can remedy that from the outset.
First step when you want to try something new is
“due diligence.” Nursery ads and colorful catalogs can
mislead. You need to know what thrives where you are. Hit
lots of websites, hang around local tree nurseries, chat with
your extension agent. Your local insects, birds, air quality,
microclimate, and weather cycles doubtless hold unique
challenges and people who have been at it for a while are
your best advisors.
Keep in mind that real success, in working with nature or any
other complex community, comes easiest when you apply
Mother Nature’s “killer apps.” All of them teach us to be
diverse, nimble, fact-based, and not bound by ideology.
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grow cycle