Agroforestry Word of the Week - October 7, 2020 - Guild

Guild - /gild/ - ecological grouping

October 7, 2020

Definition: A group of species, including plants, trees, animals, and insects, that work together to help ensure their collective health and productivity.

A Closer Look:  All of the components of a guild serve one or more functions that contribute to a healthy, natural environment. One component on its own may be weak, but the combination of all of them together adds to the overall strength and longevity of the Forest Garden.


The 7 Main Components of a Forest Garden Guild

1. Providers: plants that provide food and money e.g fruits, vegetables, grains, and timber

2. Fertilizers: legumes that fix nitrogen into the soil

3. Miners: deep-rooted plants or tubers that open the soil and bring up nutrients from deep in the subsoil, releasing them as organic matter in the leaf litter

4. Climbers:  plants that take advantage of vertical space

5. Supporters: plants that provide support for the climbers

6. Cover crops: shallow-rooted, surface-level plants that cover the ground and shade and protect the soil, hold moisture, and control weeds

7. Protectors: plants that protect your site and the crops within, e.g. insectary plants, aromatic pest confusers, and green walls.



Comments
Yes a guild is really very good to use in our garden as long as we use the right plants for example when talk of climbers, its not any plant but plants like pumpkin, water watermellon , cucumber, these are really nutrious foods. So thank you Peter for this, I would love to continue learning more and more.
Christine Namutosi - 25 Nov 2020
Yes a guild is really very good to use in our garden as long as we use the right plants for example when talk of climbers, its not any plant but plants like pumpkin, water watermellon , cucumber, these are really nutrious foods. So thank you Peter for this, I would love to continue learning more and more.
Christine Namutosi - 25 Nov 2020
Yes a guild is really very good to use in our garden as long as we use the right plants for example when talk of climbers, its not any plant but plants like pumpkin, water watermellon , cucumber, these are really nutrious foods. So thank you Peter for this, I would love to continue learning more and more.
Christine Namutosi - 25 Nov 2020