One of the coolest ways to grow fruit trees in your backyard is by planting a fruit tree guild. A fruit tree guild is a way you can grow a fruit tree along with multiple flowers and berry bushes that work together as a mini ecosystem. Think about your favorite fruit tree, berry bushes, and native flowers. Now imagine them growing in the same space and working together as a team. 

Benefits of a Fruit Tree Guild: 

• A synergy of plants that work together as a mini ecosystem. 
• Harvest a variety of fruits, berries, and flowers in one garden space.
• Edible groundcovers such as strawberries help suppress weeds.
• Native plants work together to ward off pests and to support pollinators.  
• Added Biodiversity reduces disease pressure, build soils, increases yields.

Fruit Tree Guilds start with a main fruit tree in the center forming the canopy. This fruit tree grows up tall towards the sun and is the backbone of the guild. From here we add an edible ground cover that grows low and wide and produces an abundance of fruit while suppressing grass and weeds. Around the tree we plant a diversity of native flowers that work together to support pollinators and build soil. Next, we plant the shrub layer with all sorts of berry and nut bushes. 

Our favorite guild to create is an Apple Tree Guild with a crisp delicious apple tree at the center, sweet juicy strawberries as the ground cover, and a variety of beautiful and medicinal native flowers. If the space allows we include yummy berry bushes – For example, Blueberry, Honeyberry, Elderberry, Chokeberry. Then we repeat the pattern with different trees to form a Food Forest. 

It is truly magical to watch these ecosystems come to life and enjoy the freshest, tastiest, most nutrient dense food that nature has to offer right in your own backyard.

Let’s work together to pick out the right plants best suited to the growing conditions of your property and the healthy lifestyle goals of your family. 

Contact Richie Mitchell for details. Bearcreekorganics.com ‘contact us’

Email: [email protected], Phone: 570-582-0615

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