Yesterday we put 25 plants in the ground at 2xH Ranch — three mango trees arranged in a triangle, 15 feet apart, with 22 companion plants filling the space between them.
This is our first food forest guild.
A guild is a group of plants chosen to work together around a central tree. Each one has a role: some fix nitrogen, some attract pollinators, some repel pests, some produce food in the shade. The idea is that the plants take care of each other — and eventually, take care of the trees.
Ours includes Barbados Cherry, Bahama Wild Coffee, Elderberry, Grayleaf Teabush, Cranberry Hibiscus, Sunshine Mimosa, Sweet Potato vine, and Marigold. It's not complete — we still need chaya as a dynamic accumulator to close the nutrient loop — but it's a real start.
Lots more guilds to plant!