Design a food forest in a fixed order: observe the site through the seasons, map sun, slope and water, set out earthworks and paths first, place the trees where they get light and water, and fill the lower layers last. Settle water and access before planting, because moving a mature tree or a path is impractical afterwards. Put the plants you harvest most often closest to the dwelling and the ones you visit once a year furthest from it.
Site design in a food forest is the planning of sun exposure, water movement, access and planting order on a piece of land before any tree is planted.
Water And Access Are Set Before The Trees, Because Trees Cannot Be Moved
The carrier guide (Food Forest & Permaculture Design) tells the planner to observe the site through all seasons if possible, mark full-sun, partial-shade and full-shade zones, design slopes so water flows toward tree roots, and plan paths before planting. Those instructions describe an order of work.
The Order Of Work
Step 1: Observe for a full year if you can. Record where the sun falls in each season, where water runs and collects after rain, where frost settles, where wind strikes and what already grows.
Step 2: Map. Draw the boundary, slope, existing trees, buildings, wells and watercourses on a scaled sketch. See Sun Mapping and Slope Analysis.
Step 3: Place water features. Mark contour lines and decide where swales or other earthworks go (Water Flow and Swale Placement).
Step 4: Lay out the paths and zones (Access Paths and Harvest Zones).
Step 5: Place the trees, tallest and slowest first, at mature spacing.
Step 6: Add the lower layers and guilds (Forest Garden Layers).
Common Mistakes
- Designing from a single visit — a site in winter hides shade and a site in summer hides frost.
- Planting before the water plan — trees planted on a slope that a swale later crosses have to be dug up.
- Siting by view or convenience alone — the planting needs sun, drainage and a harvest route first.
Safety
Keep earthworks away from buildings, wells and septic systems
Water-holding earthworks placed upslope of a building, a well or a septic field can send saturated ground and overflow toward it. Keep them downslope or well to the side, and check overflow routes before digging.
What’s Next
- Learn next: Sun Mapping and Slope Analysis — the first map to draw
- Combine with: Contour Mapping — reading the land’s shape