Louis De Jaeger
30 apr. 2024
When designing your food forest, it is very useful to apply permaculture principles. One of these principles deals with zoning. Zone 0 is the heart of your domain. For most people, this is their home or the place where you gather if you don't live on site. This could, for example, be the campfire area or the shed where the work materials are stored, where you can meet and drink a hot tea.
You can indicate the heart of your domain with a rough circle on your plan. For the time being, it is not advisable to deal with details. We are currently still in the rough planning phase, later we can zoom in per zone to design in detail.
Permaculture zone 1 Zone 1 is located around the house. You come here several times a day, so you always have a good eye on what is going on. This is the place for your vegetable garden and herb spiral. Your chickens that you feed every day and the plants that you grow in pots and therefore need water. It is also best to keep your cuttings, seeds and grafting material in this zone, so that you can check them every day without much walking back and forth.
Permaculture zones 2, 3 and 4
Zones 2, 3 and 4 go from a more intensive zone to an extensive zone. For example, in zone 2 you can plant low- and half-stem fruit trees and berry bushes, as well as perennial vegetables such as rhubarb, asparagus and artichoke. You only visit Zone 3 occasionally. This is where standard fruit trees, nut trees, a meadow, etc. fit. In zone 4 there is very little maintenance. So you rarely come here. This zone is suitable, for example, for wild picking, timber production and coppice management.
Zone 5: the wilderness zone Zone 5 is a part that gives you completely back to nature. Let this piece naturalize and observe how it changes. This way you will see how natural succession works on your property. Enjoying, observing & meditating is the only 'work' you have to do here.
Would you like to learn more about food forest design? Then read 'Design your own food forest' by Commensalist founder Louis De Jaeger or book a no-obligation phone call with one of our Commensalists.