The way society looks at agriculture is changing. We are in the midst of a transition from monoculture cash-crop cultivation to multi-diverse, multilayer agroforestry. This shift is not only a change in crops and working tools, it is also a shift in lifestyle and mentality.
As you learn about the importance of soil health and resilient ecosystems, you will look very critically onto the perfectly plowed Mallorcan almond fields. Because they represent a desert… the only thing “allowed” to grow there is clones of one type of tree. Each one of them a copy of the others. Perfect for the spread of diseases that need to be fought against with pesticides, which in turn reduce or kill biodiversity. In this picture, we are not working with nature… we are working against it.
Our goal at permallorca is to oasify this beautiful island again. That is also the essence of a permaculture food forest garden. We help land owners succeed in agroforestry.
How to succeed with agroforestry?
Agriculture and also agroforestry will always be a fight between what’s nice and what’s economically feasible. Can I plant a forest and still make money from it on Mallorca? Will I have to buy new machines? Will I have to work in my forest every day? All these questions are very legitimate. We face them every day.
For us, every land is unique. Our agroforestry experts will design a system that is both resilient, diverse, and economically feasible.
What to Plant?
The combination of trees, shrubs, climbers, and root crops is what makes the ecosystem strong. Most people think of agroforestry as “a field with lines of one type of tree”. That however, is not the way we think at permallorca. Depending on your personal preference for a certain type of crop, and the future outlook of the market, as well as the climate adaptability of the plants, we create a master plan for your land.
When to plant?
The planting season on Mallorca goes from October through to March. The exact timing depends on one important variable: The rain. Ideally, plants are grown from seedling at exactly the place where they are supposed to stay for the rest of their life. In practice we mostly choose to buy trees from a nursery and then plant them in a field. For those trees to grow roots (deep, strong roots means higher likeliness of survival), they need some time where they can thrive with water and not-so-high temperatures.
What to expect?
Once the agroforestry system is planted (and in most cases, irrigation is installed), then you sit back for some time and wait. For about the first 3 to 4 years your forest will need to grow up and be nurtured. An agroforestry expert will know what to do. Only then it will be able to survive with much less or close to no irrigation. Maintenance will decrease as your trees become established. For full production you will have to wait 5 to 10+ years, depending on the types or crops you plantes.
