Food Forestry Is Becoming Popular But Can Fruit and Veg Be Grown In Woodlands? Traditional Veg Will Struggle But Yes, If We Choose Wisely.
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Growing carrots, cabbage and potatoes is going to be problematic where light levels are low. And woodlands certainly get insufficient light when the trees are in full leaf. But some plants have developed to cope with this conditions and if we choose from them there are many that will fruit or otherwise produce edibles for us.
We can also adapt the woodlands to help plants cope better, from felling trees to growing in glades and in the woodland fringe it is possibly possible to grow edible crops in woodlands and food forests. This topic, to some extent, overlaps with growing perennial veg. So consider that as well.
In this article I look at three ways that food can be produced in a food forest or woodland.
Growing Food in the Forest Understory
Even in the denser parts of your woodland, where the canopy is largely closed, you can still grow food, though you’ll need to be a bit clever about it. Light is the main hurdle here, but it’s not entirely absent. The conditions can range from deep shade to dappled light, depending on the tree types and how mature your forest is. Not all closed canopies are the same; some let through a surprising amount of sun for understory growth, especially before the tree leaves are present. Many common plants have adapted to grow in these conditions. Primroses, foxgloves etc cope with conditions where the light percolates in early spring, even though it might get dense later. Often they cope better with better light conditions, but it is a matter of degree and they will often cope with surprisingly lower light conditions.
In these shadier spots, you can focus on ‘forest crops’ such as mushrooms, wild garlic, and I’m told that”medicinal” plants such as goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis) . You might even manage some fruit and nut crops like elderberries, currants, honeyberries, and hazels. While the yields won’t be as abundant as in full sun, you certainly have options. It really all depends on the density of shade . A dense conifer plantation is certainly going to be far too shady with no spring season light. But a less dense woodland offers may options.
Another excellent way to utilise these areas is through silvopasture, integrating animals into your woodland. Animals are food, after all, and some, like pigs, are perfectly at home foraging in woodlands and forests. Chicken or even Guinea fowls are another option. Other species might need more open pasture, but you could combine this with forested areas to give your livestock welcome shade and shelter. As with the plants that cope it is all a matter of degree.
Utilising Existing Forest Gaps, Clearings, and Edges
Your woodland will naturally have areas that receive more sunlight. These could be existing gaps and clearings formed by natural events such as storms, or the natural death of trees. Every forest also has an edge, where it meets your pasture, garden, orchard, or pond. These spots naturally get more sun and offer more space for plants.
In addition to the fruit and nut plants suitable for the understory (eg elderberries, currants, and honeyberries), you can introduce other plants that thrive in partial shade, such as raspberries, tart tasting chokeberries, loganberries, blueberries, and even kiwi. If an area has excellent sun exposure and is open to the south, you could even grow all the classic fruit and nut crops you want.
Clearing Areas for Food Production
You can choose to clear small sections of your forest to make space for food production, but do it in a way that actually boosts the overall health of the woodland for food and timber production as well as wildlife.
In any forest, you’ll find trees that are showing signs of decline—perhaps they’re crooked, diseased, or have dying branches. There’s no harm in removing these. By doing so, you create space and let in more sunlight, effectively helping the forest by removing ‘weaker’ genetics. This is a natural process you’re simply accelerating. Ideally leave a few pieces of stranding dead wood for woodpeckers, beetles etc.
Alternatively, you could take the opposite approach: identify the healthiest, most vigorous trees and support them by clearing away anything that’s suppressing their growth. This method allows you to select for the best genetics within your woodland.
The other approach is to harvest the mature trees for timber. They are a crop as much as any other. Harvesting mature trees is part of the way in which woodland has been managed for millennia. You can clear fell, coppice or pollard your trees. Each has its advantages for food production and wildlife.
In the above scenarios, you’ll gain more space and light, which you can then use to plant species such as chestnuts, walnuts, and hazels, alongside other supporting plants. You can also incorporate all the plants mentioned in the previous section.
So, Can Fruit and Veg Be Grown In Woodlands?
All in all, you’ve got a wealth of options for growing food in your forest while preserving it as much as possible. They allow you to cultivate food in a semi-wild manner, often with less maintenance due to reduced weed pressure. It’s truly a win-win: you get delicious food, and your forest is preserved, or even enhanced.
Has this sparked some ideas for how you might utilise your own bit of woodland?
