The garden journey of a Master Gardener Volunteer is always fascinating. UF/IFAS Extension Polk County Master Gardener Volunteer, Jessica, shares how she started a food forest in her yard. To learn even more, take a listen as we chat with Jessica on Your Central Florida Yard podcast.

About a year and a half ago, I decided to extend the boundaries of my pollinator-focused garden to explore the possibilities that exist in growing my own food. I hopped onto the web and set my sights on learning more. I learned the importance of growing plants that want to grow in our intense Florida sun and sandy-loam soil but also the importance of planting native plants that thrive in central Florida for easy maintenance within the space I have. In my yard, I focused on plants that prefer full sun, acidic soil and those that would be drought tolerant. I also took into consideration the cold tolerance of any perspective plants for our occasional cold snaps/freezes.

I stumbled upon the concept of food forests and regenerative gardening and knew this was the perfect mix of all of my passion points which use techniques to recreate or mimic nature by using a vertical multi-later approach: tall canopy trees, smaller understory fruit trees, shrubs, herbs, groundcovers, root crops, and vines.

What is a food forest?

A food forest relies on multiple layers in a landscape working together. Not all the plants in a food forest are edible plants. Groupings of plants are called guilds. They can be as large, or a small, as your landscape allows. See below for examples of guilds that might work in your central Florida yard.

I realized there were so many great options so I jumped in with both feet! The landscape already has mature oaks (tall canopy layer) so I chose to plant the fruit trees first (canopy and/or understory layers), knowing it would take time for them to provide fruit. Then I planted shrubs. I planted foods rich in vitamin c (citrus, Barbados cherry, Surinam cherry, pomegranate, guava); high in antioxidants (ginger, turmeric, butterfly pea, guava, pomegranate, blueberries); and those high in protein (pigeon pea, katuk, jackfruit, cowpea), as well as expanded my pollinator plants into the guilds to assist with fruit-set, when the time comes.

Next came the supporting layers. I’ve continued to add pigeon pea, native & Florida-Friendly perennial flowers (so they re-seed each year), tropical spinach, herbs, as well as cowpea and sweet potatoes as a living mulch to keep the plants and soil cooler in the deep summer heat.

It’s a continual work in progress with typical weeding and pruning but overall it hasn’t been difficult to maintain. The initial groupings (guilds)/plants are now well established and have become more drought tolerant. The newer supporting layers are doing great. Thankfully, 98% of plants survived the recent freeze so things are going quite well. Next, I plan to create a tea garden guild. So, more to come on that 🙂

All in all, I just have fun with it! I grow what I want to eat, flowers that the bees and butterflies like, and plants that want to grow in my yard. Then, I hope for the best! Absolutely no high maintenance plants here!

I’ve mixed a little creativity with some research and BAM! We now have a thriving food forest which continues to evolve, providing year-round nutritious food while supporting wildlife & pollinators, improving the soil and conserving resources, all the while, creating our own little ecological microclimate of regenerative goodness. How amazing is that!?

The following are examples of guilds (planting combinations) that may work in central Florida. Of course it is important to follow the Right Plant, Right Place principle when planting and match the plants to your yard’s conditions.

Guild 1 (established)

• Banana – long term – fruits in 18 months
• Beautyberry – flowers in late spring; fruits in fall
• Loquat – flowers in fall; fruits in spring
• Basil – pest repellent, pollinator & kitchen spice
• Bidens alba – year round pollinator plant, draws toxins from the ground

Long-term outlook: Loquat provides structure. Banana builds soil. Beautyberry supports wildlife. Basil attracts pollinators. Bidens alba feeds beneficial insects.

Guild 2 (established)

• Hog plum – Provides fruit, light shade, and organic matter through chop & drop.
• Guava – Produces fruit; attracts pollinators.
• Elderberry – produces edible berries (must cook) and flowers; supports beneficial insects and wildlife.
• Pentas – Provides a continuous nectar source for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators.
• Salvia – Attracts pollinators and beneficial insects.
• Vinca – Provides a continuous nectar source for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators.

Long-term outlook: fruit production, pollinator support, and beneficial insect habitat.

Guild 3 (established)

• Banana – long term – fruits in 18 months
• Sugarcane chop & drop; mature cane in late fall
• Bidens alba – year round pollinator plant, draws toxins from the ground
• Panadol – pest repellent
• Nopal – edible plus fruit in summer/fall
• Cowpea – nitrogen fixing; chop & drop; edible pea pods in late fall
• Surinam cherry – fruiting plant, twice per year

Long-term outlook: banana and Surinam cherry provide fruit, sugarcane and cowpea build soil through chop & drop, cowpea fixes nitrogen, Bidens alba feeds pollinators year-round and draws toxins from the ground, pandol helps deter pests, and nopal adds a drought-resistant edible crop.

Guild 4 (newly planted)

• Pomegranate – flowers in spring, fruits in late fall
• Tomato – fruits in spring through late fall
• Pepper- fruits in spring through late fall

Long-term outlook: Simple and productive guild that combines a long-lived fruit shrub with seasonal vegetable producers.

Plans to add: marigold and basil for pest management and to attract pollinators; lemongrass and red Mexican sunflower for chop & drop to return nutrients to the soil, and nitrogen fixing perennial peanut.

Guild 5 (newly planted)

• Beautyberry – flowers in late spring & summer; fruits in fall
• Pigeon pea – nitrogen fixing, chop & drop, edible pea pods in late fall
• Blueberry flowers late winter; fruits late spring

Long-term outlook: a productive, low-maintenance planting that improves soil, attracts beneficial insects, and provides fruit across multiple seasons.

For more information, contact UF/IFAS Extension Polk County at (863) 519-1041 or visit us online at http://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/polk. The Plant Clinic is open Monday-Friday, 9:00 am-4:00 pm to answer your gardening and landscaping questions. Give us a call or email us at polkmg@ifas.ufl.edu.

If you are not in Polk County, Contact your local UF/IFAS Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Plant Clinic.

The Florida Master Gardener Volunteer Program is a volunteer-driven program that benefits UF/IFAS Extension and the citizens of Florida. The program extends the vision of the University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, all the while protecting and sustaining natural resources and environmental systems, enhancing the development of human resources, and improving the quality of human life through the development of knowledge in agricultural, human and natural resources and making that knowledge accessible.

This article was written by Master Gardener Volunteer Jessica Kneser under supervision of the Master Gardener Volunteer Coordinator and Residential Horticulture Extension Agent Anne Yasalonis.

An Equal Opportunity Institution.

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