#8 Agroforesty

How agroecology can help you and your garden grow

A series exploring agroecological practises and how they can be utilised in our gardens and plots.

Agroforestry is a land management practise where trees and shrubs are integrated with crops or animals within agroecological farming systems.

For many decades, hedgerows and trees had been grubbed out to increase production on farms. When it was once thought that maximising a single crop was key, now a polyculture is widely believed to be the far better approach.

There are a whole heap of different ways that agroforestry is integrated, including;

Hedgerow &/or shelter belts - where fields are defined, extensive field edge habitats, extreme weather buffering and protection to livestock.

Silvopasture - These are trees in fields to protect livestock from weather, further create habitats.

Silvoarable - Trees grown in arable crops, in rows between fields, usually set to suit machinery on the farm. These can also provide an additional crop in fruits or nuts.

Agroforestry brings many benefits -

• Additional income.

• Protection from extreme weather, reducing flooding and protecting waterways.

• Improved soil quality and health

• Enhanced diversity and habitats

• Carbon sequestering.

According to the Woodland Trust¹, the 3% of farm land that currently practises agroecology has found a 20% increase in yield. Which seems to me a win win.

The government has reported that if even only 10% of arable land and 30% of pasture land would significantly help us reach the climate change and nature recovery targets. Agroforestry planting is recognised in the Sustainable Finance Initiatives² and I hope many more will do so.

In our micro farms, allotments and gardens, we can do much to increase trees and shrubs, and therefore incorporating those benefits of agroforestry in our own spaces.

It was only last year that I began looking at how I could do this in the walled garden and plots here. Before hand I had grown shrubs in the field plot and largely kept the gardens to perennial and annual planting. Mostly, I had retained that much maligned idea that too much planting created ‘competition’, affecting production.

Early Spring this year I incorporated fruit trees and shrubs into borders around the walled garden. So far, rather than ‘take’ from the soil and planting already in place, they have thrived and so has that which grows at their feet.

I’m starting a big project this autumn to increase the trees and shrubs in the gardens after seeing the benefits, increase my plant palette for arranging and resilience in the diversity of plants in face of severe weather. Here is are planting list from this Spring and aiming for this autumn;