Intercropping Agroforesty 'Food Forest' systems
Here you can see the food forest begin to unfold, just 3 years ago this was a monculture coffee crop. The inga edulis, or ice-cream bean trees are six feet and higher, with medium term castor trees coming in. A short term corn crop is already established and today we are planting beans, which we love to eat!
The coffee bushes have had their lower branches cut, but canopy leaves remain and continue to produce small amount of coffee, while the main trunks send up more regenerative stalks.
Awesome! Where did you get your Ice Cream Bean seeds? Or was it a seedling or cutting? Stoked to have found you and follow your future posts. :)
They are native here, and we collect different varieties when we can from the nature reserve and other farms. I havent tried cuttings with ice cream bean, but the seedlings have a very deep tap root, Ive found it best to plant directly.
What climate do you live in? Ive had success shipping 'trail mix' if you need any seeds.
Right on! I definitely want to learn more about it and try it if it would grow here. I live outside Asheville, NC, more or less 7b growing zone. Whereabouts are you?
Líbano, Tolima, Colombia! Zone 12b, Montane Forest.
From: https://www.lushplants.com.au/blog/entry/edible-plants-fruit-trees/we-all-scream-for-ice-cream-inga-edulis-growing-the-ice-cream-bean-tree
Soil
Inga Edulis will grow in just about any soil; it prefers moist conditions and it is even tolerant to acidic soil. It will improve the quality of any ground it is planted in due to its Nitrogen fixing properties.
Temperature
This hardy plant will cope with colder conditions but it won’t be as happy-it can stand heat of over 30 degrees Celsius but it doesn’t grow so well in colder areas. It is very hardy but as a rainforest species it will not survive frosty conditions or prolonged drought.
Ill keep looking to see how low it can go, you would have to protect the ground and would probably grow best in a growhouse of some kind.
When I was at PRI Australia, they had Ice cream bean tree and it did manage to survive a few frosts without issue, but more than that, or perhaps younger saplings wouldn't fair so well. I would recommend a Walapini if you are going for year round greenhouses, relatively cheap too for what you get! Great post!
Thank you for the info! A greenhouse is definitely in our future so maybe it will be best suited in there. Good idea. :) Looking forward to learning more from your future posts!
I LOVE what you are doing! It is so beautiful!
Thank you so much! The hardest part has been the documentation, Im going to try to post at least a picture a day here to help start the habit of documenting.
That's a great idea!
Documenting is a great way to remember what worked, what happened, and what didn't work. Haha. Very important so you don't make the same mistake more than once! :)
Ah man, I wish I could grow coffee... With my consumption... I probably should figure out a way! Haha.
Just found your blog! Gonna have to follow it now for updates on your projects!
I can never go back to store-bought coffee! What latitude are you at?
I think 45? Haha, I'm in Oregon in the US. :D
you could in an Earthship or a greenhouse, but then again if things keep going as they are, might actually be able to grow it there after all! haha hmmm :/
Sad, yet funny! Haha.
Very impressed and envious. I've got a few acres of new woodland in Wales that I hope to gradually convert to food forest. But I won't have such exotic species as yours.
Once you add up all the species of southern and northern temperate zones, theres really a lot of diversity to choose from.
Very unique and interesting climate in the UK! I hear food forests there have a lot of chestnuts and other fun nuts.
I'm aiming to get 100 nut trees planted over 3 years. Done about 30 so far this year - sweet chestnut, almond, walnut and araucaria.
Amazing! Though my upvote doesn't count for much after the first week, these posts are all quite exciting! Please keep them coming.
That is so incredibly steep
Yes it is! The topography is amazing here...amazingly steep! I couldn't believe they cultivated like this until I saw it with my own eyes. I have heard of people who cultivate even steeper slopes with a rappel harness and vertical rows.
We are adding trees and bushes as fast as possible to limit possible erosion.