5 hazelnut shrubs will produce nuts equivalent to one oak tree, but will produce in 3-6 years instead of 20-30. So for many people it is worth it.

#lyis #foodforests #permaculture #corylusamericana #corylus #homesteading #growingfood #growyourownfood #nurseryworker #gardening #greenhousegardening #marketgarden #peasantlife #peasant

Letting my cherry tomatoes grow wild, they are carpeting the floor with delicious goodness. No pruning or trellising needed, they know what to do.

Originally from hardy volunteer cherry tomatoes from Ukraine, these are third generation in my Ontario food forest, that do well in no till polyculture settings.

All of this years seed comes from a single wildly successful plant from last year.
The second picture shows some that self trellised up some sunflower potatoes. And even survived some prodigeous pruning by the neighbours. Third photo shows ones that are self trellising up some sunflower potatoes.

All pretty amazing how in a relatively short period of time these cherry tomatoes managed to adapt from intensive management to a nearly wild way of being, while still being super productive. Been eating cherry tomatoes every day for weeks.

I may end up collecting some for seed and selling them on my Etsy store as cherry tomatoes hardy to zone 5, cause many volunteered this year as well, they are visible in the first picture.

#lyis #permaculture #foodforest #plantbreeding #nurseryworker #homesteading #tomato #cherrytomatoes🍅 #seedlings #foodsecurity #rewilding #hardyplants #hardytomatoes

Looks like potassium deficiency is setting in on some of the oaks, 2 of the several hundred I have anyhow. So next watering I'll do a potassium-phosphorous based one, perhaps with some micronutrients as well. Give the plants a breather from the nitrates, and let their roots grow stronger.

#lyis #nurseryworker #nutrientdeficiency #greenhousegardening #foodgarden #foodsecurity #foodforest #oak #watering #permaculture #seedlings #growwhatyoueat

Good news, pecans have survived a particularly cold winter in Owen Sound, hardiness zone 5b ish.
My butterfly bushes didn't make it this year though they had several previous years. So is how I know it was especially cold.
Anyhow can get the same ultra northern hardy pecan seeds this autumn and grow them to sell at the market next year. Am sure they will be a big hit, people love pecans.

#pecan #treeseedlings #seedlings #homesteading #foodgarden #foodforest #permaculture #farmersmarket #greenhaven #lyis #nuts #trees #nurseryworker #gardening #overwinter #ontariogardening

Sprouts today: top left 5 pawpaw,
Top right 1 swamp white oak, 1 burr oak,
Centre left 3 peach sprouts,
Centre 1 butternut sprout in symbiotic mycorhizal nest,
Bottom right 3 hazelnut sprouts.

I figured out the sprouting temperature for pawpaws is 25-30C so I put them in a sprouting bag and into my food dehydrator with a thermometer, i keep the temperature between 25-30C. So finally getting some sprout results. Next year will try sprouting the pawpaws in like April so they can be market ready for July. Otherwise they take like two years, and it can be hard to overwinter them in the greenhouse. But yeah will be trying again this year, not sure if and how many will be market ready by August/September.

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#sproutingseeds #sprout #nut #pawpawfruit #butternut #hazelnuts #permaculture #foodforest #mycorrhizae #homesteading #greenhousegardening #greenhouse #lyis #forestry #nurseryworker