Planting Fruit Tree Guilds with Greytown School

In Term 2 we met with the Greytown School Enviro Group to learn about fruit tree guilds and help them enhance their orchard area and gardens.

30 tamariki joined Rohan and Jules for the day which started with a lesson in forest ecology and food forest principles. Greytown School already have a beautiful orchard area with some apple pear and lemon trees so we focused on what we could plant around them to help them grow and provide more kai for the tamariki to cook , prepare and share with their community.

Each group placed cardboard, mulch and compost around one of the fruit trees and laid out a range of plants to meet all the needs of the tree and its eco-system. In the spring we will go back with a wider range of plants that need it to be a bit warmer but for now they planted; strawberries, raspberries, comfrey, borage, lemon balm, rosemary and garlic. The tamariki laid rocks around the edges of their guilds to create a border. They also names their trees.

In the afternoon the tamariki worked to together to create posters of their learning. Some drew what they had planted. Some drew what the fruit tree guilds would look like through the seasons or in a year’s time. Others drew the eco-system below the soil or compared a native forest to a food forest. We then gathered to share back with the group.