About 3 years ago, at Halligeri, for the first time, we had started to grow vegetables in our backyard. We wanted to eat vegetables grown naturally without pesticides and fertilizers.
It was joyful to grow a small garden, but it was not enough to meet our daily needs. Also, we could not get fruits.
After moving to the farm, we have sowed practically all the vegetable seeds we could find. Some grew and many did not. Also, these needed some work like sowing, adding compost, weeding, watering etc. The yield was again not enough.
We realized that the land was depleted due to many years of chemical farming.
As there is no work in nature, none of the species work. We have been always looking to live with no or minimal work. Applying same logic, we found that, a forested garden is a best option.
The jungles are created on their own. They are abundant, self-driven and always stabilized. And this all starts with one simple step. Seeds falling on the ground (this too is automatic). That is all. After this everything happens automatic.
We decided to follow this approach to create a source of vegetables and fruits for us.
We have collected all the plant and vegetable seeds, and just dropped them throughout our farm. These are formed into a seedball using red soil to protect from insect/birds till germination.
The expected natural progression is - when it rains, as the ideal condition are created for each type of seed, these will germinate. The plants will grow, mature, flower and give seeds. We will just harvest as much vegetables and fruits needed everyday for us. Leaving rest to take its natural progression.
Many seeds will become plants. Many may not germinate at all. That is fine. Whatever is suitable to our farm conditions, will work. Rest is lost.
As the monsoon comes to an end, most vegetables would have given lots of seeds that have again fallen to the soil. These will germinate again when right conditions for it arrive.
The farm will be full of seeds!
Similarly, the naturally germinated plants will develop deeper roots, grow slowly as per existing conditions. These will be much better adapted than the plants brought from nursery and transplanted.
We will be hardly putting seeds into the soil again.
Over coming years, there will always be one or other vegetable and fruit at any given time in the farm.
This way, abundant supply of naturally grown nutritionally rich food is obtained always.
Other materials like timber, medicinal components etc will be available.
Forest like atmosphere will be created by this approach.
There will be many wild birds and animals making home in this garden.
Due to huge biodiversity, the food forest will be heavenly.
Thanks for Reading. Take Care