Creating a food forest means building an edible, multi-layered planting system that, like a real forest, largely looks after itself. You stack plants by height: from a fruit tree at the top down to ground covers at the bottom, so that every centimetre of soil and light gets used. And yes, this works in an ordinary back garden too. You don’t need a hectare of woodland. On a bed of a few square metres you can already start, by scaling the layers down with dwarf trees, berry bushes and herbs. You begin by observing (sun, soil, wind), make a simple design with the tallest plants on the north side, prepare the soil with mulch instead of digging, and plant in autumn.
That’s the short version. Below you get the long one, with the complete 7 layers, concrete species that do well in a temperate climate, planting distances, the planting season, the costs and the mistakes everyone makes the first time. I’m Fred, and I’ll walk you through it step by step.
What exactly is a food forest?
A food forest is a human-designed, edible ecosystem modelled on a natural forest. It consists mainly of perennial and woody plants from which you eat fruit, nuts, leaves, stems or roots. The art lies in combining different plant layers on top of each other, so that after the establishment years the system largely maintains itself and needs little upkeep.
Officially the bar is set high. The Dutch Green Deal Voedselbossen (2017) defines a food forest as a productive ecosystem of at least 0.5 hectares, with a dominant tree layer and at least three other vegetation layers. In practice such food forests work with a minimum of four and a maximum of nine layers.
You will of course never reach that half hectare in a normal garden. But the beauty is: you don’t need it. What you make at home is formally called an edible (ornamental) garden or forest garden, but it runs on exactly the same principles. And that is what this article is about.
Difference from a vegetable garden
This is the point where a lot of people drop off, so let’s be clear.
| Vegetable garden | Food forest | |
|---|---|---|
| Plants | Mostly annual (lettuce, tomato, beans) | Mostly perennial (trees, shrubs, hardy plants) |
| Soil | Dig over and re-sow every year | No digging, leave the soil life in peace |
| Layers | One layer, everything at eye level in beds | Several layers stacked on top of each other |
| Upkeep | A lot and constant (weeding, sowing, watering) | A lot at the start, little after that |
| Yield | Fast, already in the first season | Builds up over years, keeps growing |
In short: a vegetable garden is work you redo every year. A food forest is an investment you set up well once, and which gives back more and more afterwards for less and less effort.
The 7 layers of a food forest with example species
This is the heart of the idea. A forest fills all the space, from the tree canopy to the forest floor. By mimicking the same layers you make optimal use of sun and soil and the plants protect each other. Below are the seven classic layers, with species that do well in a temperate climate and that are edible.
| Layer | What it is | Example species (edible) |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Canopy layer | The tallest trees, the crown | Apple, pear, cherry, plum, walnut, sweet chestnut |
| 2. Low tree layer | Small trees and large shrubs | Juneberry, elder, hazel, goumi/oleaster, quince |
| 3. Shrub layer | Shrubs at eye level | Red/blackcurrant, jostaberry, gooseberry, raspberry, blueberry, honeyberry |
| 4. Herb layer | Hardy plants and herbs | Rhubarb, lovage, sage, thyme, oregano, lemon balm, chives |
| 5. Ground covers | Low creepers over the soil | Strawberry, wild strawberry, nasturtium, sweet woodruff |
| 6. Root and tuber layer | Edible below ground | Jerusalem artichoke, yacon, wild garlic, garlic |
| 7. Climbing layer | Climbers running through the rest | Grape, kiwi berry, Japanese wineberry, blackberry, boysenberry |
A few things worth knowing about this list.
In a large garden, layer 1 holds a real standard-trunk nut or chestnut. In a small garden the “canopy layer” is simply your one and only fruit tree on a low rootstock. The layers are relative: you scale them to your space.
You don’t have to plant all seven layers. The smaller the garden, the fewer layers you can logically fit in. Four well-chosen layers (tree, shrub, herb, ground cover) already make a proper mini food forest.
Some sources count up to nine layers, adding the fungal or mushroom layer in the soil and the water layer separately. For home use I stick to these seven. That is more than enough to work with.
Can a food forest work in a small garden?
Yes. And that is not wishful talk. You just adjust the scale.
The trick lies in three choices. First: choose small tree forms. Instead of a standard apple that reaches 6 metres, you take a bush or dwarf tree on a weak rootstock (for example M9), which stays around 2 to 2.5 metres. Or a patio fruit tree that stays at about 1.5 metres and even fits in a pot. Against a fence or wall, an espalier form works: it grows flat and costs almost no space.
Second: plant smartly in relation to the sun. Put the tallest plants on the north side and work towards the south getting lower and lower. That way nothing stands in anyone else’s shade and every layer gets light. A nice bed along a fence is ideal for this.
Third: start with one bed and expand. You don’t have to dig over the whole garden in one weekend. Take on one edge, see how you like it, and grow from there.
How small can it go? In theory a mini food forest already fits on 1 square metre or even in a large pot. For real diversity with multiple layers, around 4 square metres is a comfortable minimum. With 15 to 40 square metres you can already set up a surprisingly complete little system.
Step-by-step: how to create a food forest
Step 1: Observe your garden
Before you buy a single plant, you watch your garden for a while. This is the step most people skip, and where it goes wrong later.
Watch these four things:
- Sun and shade. Where does how much sun fall, and at what hours? An apple tree ideally wants around 8 hours of sun a day in summer. Sunny spot? Then most fruit and the Mediterranean herbs will do. Shady? Then you choose shade species such as blueberry, wild garlic and sweet woodruff.
- Soil type. Sand, clay or peat? Dig a little hole and feel. Sand dries out fast, clay holds water and is heavy. This partly determines your choice of species and whether you need to raise the level with compost.
- Wind. Is one corner always in the wind? There you plant something sturdy or a wind-breaking shrub, not a fragile little tree.
- Water. Where does the water sit after a downpour, and where does it dry out fast? The wet spot is for moisture-loving plants, the dry one for herbs that like that.
Step 2: Make a design with the layers
Draw your garden to scale on paper, preferably on A3. First put the fixed things on it: fence, house, existing trees, the sunny side.
Start with the largest plant. Draw the crown of your fruit tree as a circle at actual size (for a bush tree, for example, a circle of 2.5 metres). That way you immediately see how much space it takes up and what ends up in the shade underneath.
Then fill in the shrubs as circles (reckon on about 1.5 metres diameter per berry bush), then the herbs and ground covers in the open spots between them. Also plan a path: a bed with a path on both sides is comfortable at about 1.20 metres wide, a narrow stepping path can be 30 centimetres. After all, you need to be able to reach in to harvest.
Step 3: Prepare the soil (no digging)
Forget the spade. In a food forest you leave the soil life in peace. Worms, fungi and bacteria do the digging work. Digging actually wrecks that network.
The method is mulching. You cover the soil with a thick layer of organic material: wood chips, straw, autumn leaves or compost. That suppresses weeds, holds moisture and feeds the soil life as it slowly breaks down, exactly like the leaves on a forest floor. A layer of around 5 to 10 centimetres of wood chips or straw is a good start.
On poor or heavy soil you work some compost or planting soil into the top layer at the planting spots. Want to feed the soil extra over the long term? Then plant nitrogen fixers such as clover, and deep rooters such as comfrey that draw nutrients from the subsoil up to the surface.
Step 4: Planting (best in autumn)
The best planting season for trees and shrubs is autumn, roughly October into winter as long as it’s not freezing. The plants are dormant then and root in calmly, without the stress of heat and harsh sun. On top of that, bare-root plants (without a pot) are cheapest and most widely available in this period.
Early spring (February to March) is the second choice, as long as the soil is not frozen. Hardy herbs and ground covers are usually planted in spring.
Plant from big to small: first the tree, then the shrubs, then the herbs and ground covers in the open space between. Set each plant as deep as it stood in the pot or nursery, firm the soil down well, and mulch all around (but keep the mulch a few centimetres off the stem, otherwise the bark starts to rot).
Step 5: Care for the first years
For the first two to three years a food forest is not yet a self-steering system. That establishment period decides whether it succeeds.
- Watering. Especially in the first year, and certainly in dry summers. Fresh plantings don’t have a deep root system yet. Give plenty and not a little bit at a time.
- Topping up mulch. The mulch layer breaks down. Top it up a few times a year so the soil stays covered.
- Weeds. In the first years, weed until your ground covers close over the space. After that those plants do the weeding work for you.
- Pruning. Prune your fruit tree and shrubs for health and yield. On most fruit trees you do the formative pruning in winter.
After that establishment period it tips over. The shrubs close in, the ground covers fill the soil, and the upkeep drops to a few hours per season.
Planting distances and numbers per layer
This is where most articles stay vague. Here are concrete rules of thumb. Take them as guidance. On poor or wet soil you give plants a bit more space.
| Layer | Plant | Planting distance (rule of thumb) |
|---|---|---|
| Canopy layer | Bush / dwarf apple (M9) | 2 to 3 metres apart; for private gardens at least 1.5 metres trunk to trunk |
| Canopy layer | Bush fruit tree in general | 2.5 to 4 metres |
| Shrub layer | Currants, jostaberry, gooseberry | about 1.5 metres apart |
| Shrub layer | Raspberry | 40 to 60 centimetres in the row |
| Herb layer | Hardy herbs (sage, thyme) | 30 to 50 centimetres |
| Ground covers | Strawberry | 25 to 30 centimetres |
For a bed of roughly 15 to 25 square metres you then end up at about: 1 tree, 3 to 5 shrubs, a handful of climbers along the fence, 8 to 15 herbs and a decent group of ground covers in the open spots. Better to plant a bit too wide than too tight. Plants get bigger than you think.
What does a food forest in the garden cost?
The costs vary widely, depending on how big you start and whether you buy ready-grown plants or take cuttings and sow yourself. An indication, based on common nursery and garden-centre prices.
| Item | Price (indication) |
|---|---|
| Bush fruit tree (bare root) | about 20 to 45 euros |
| Half-standard fruit tree / potted | about 60 to 170 euros |
| Berry bush (currant, jostaberry, gooseberry) | about 5 to 15 euros each |
| Climbing plant (grape, kiwi berry) | about 10 to 25 euros |
| Hardy herbs / plants | about 3 to 8 euros each |
| Ground covers / strawberry plants | about 1 to 3 euros each |
| Wood chips / mulch loose | about 20 to 50 euros per m³ (small quantity in a bulk bag is dearer) |
| Compost (40-litre bag) | about 5 to 8 euros |
For a complete small food forest of around 15 to 40 square metres you roughly come to 150 to 500 euros, depending on how much and what size you buy. Want it cheaper? Buy bare-root plants in autumn, choose bush over half-standard, take your own cuttings from berry bushes and ask around for free wood chips. Many councils and tree surgeons give away chipped prunings for nothing.
Common mistakes
Planting too close. The most common mistake. A little tree that’s 80 centimetres now is 2.5 metres wide in five years. Plant to the final size, not the size at purchase. Planting too close gives fungus, competition and a bed you have to thin out later.
Choosing rampant spreaders and exotics. Some plants take over everything. Mint, some blackberries and certain ground covers spread enormously. Put spreaders in a pot or in a separate corner, and when in doubt choose native or well-behaved species.
No mulch. Bare soil dries out, hardens and grows full of weeds. The mulch layer is not an extra but the engine under a food forest. Don’t skip it and do top it up.
Impatience. A food forest is not a weekend project that delivers straight away. In the first year you harvest little, in the third year noticeably more, and only after about five years does it really run. Whoever knows that enjoys the process. Whoever wants a fast yield should start a vegetable garden.
Digging out of habit. Many gardeners automatically reach for the spade. In a food forest you work with the soil life instead. Leave the soil in peace and let the mulch and the worms do the work.
Do I need a permit?
For planting trees and shrubs in your own garden you almost never need a permit. But watch out for two things.
Some councils have a felling permit or a replanting obligation for removing existing, larger trees. If you’re going to fell something to make space, check your council’s rules first.
And factor in your neighbours. Under neighbour law, trees and shrubs may not simply stand too close to the boundary without consent. Many councils have their own rules that relax or tighten the legal distance. If you plant a tree that grows fairly tall right along the fence, check with your council and, at least as importantly, with your neighbours. A tree that later darkens their garden is soon a neighbour dispute. A quick conversation costs nothing.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum size for a food forest?
Officially (Green Deal) a food forest is at least 0.5 hectares, but that applies to productive agroforestry. For home use you apply the same principles at any scale. A mini food forest already works on 1 square metre or in a large pot, and with about 4 square metres or more you get real diversity with multiple layers.
What is the difference between a food forest and a vegetable garden?
A vegetable garden runs on annual vegetables that you re-sow every year and where you work the soil. A food forest runs on perennial trees, shrubs and hardy plants in multiple layers, where you leave the soil in peace. A vegetable garden gives fast results but costs constant work; a food forest builds up over years and needs little upkeep after that.
When is the best time to create a food forest?
Trees and shrubs are best planted in autumn (October into winter, as long as it’s not freezing). They root in calmly then and bare-root plants are cheapest at that time. Early spring is the second choice. Hardy herbs and ground covers are usually planted in spring.
How much upkeep does a food forest cost?
The first two to three years, quite a bit: watering, mulching, weeding and pruning. After that the system closes in and the upkeep drops to a few hours per season. That low upkeep over time is exactly the whole charm of the concept.
Can a food forest work in the shade?
Partly. Fruit and Mediterranean herbs want plenty of sun (an apple tree around 8 hours a day). If you have a shady garden, choose shade-tolerant edible species such as blueberry, wild garlic, sweet woodruff and certain ground covers. A deeply shaded garden won’t become fully edible and productive, but more is possible than you think.
Which plants do you choose for a small food forest?
Start with one small fruit tree (bush, dwarf or espalier form), three to five berry bushes (redcurrant, jostaberry, gooseberry, raspberry), a climber along the fence (grape or kiwi berry), a handful of hardy herbs (sage, thyme, chives, lemon balm) and ground covers such as strawberry. That is already a proper mini food forest in four to five layers.
A food forest starts with a good plan on paper: where the tree goes, how the paths run, and how you spread the layers without everything standing in each other’s shade. Want to set up your garden project properly in one go, with clear measurements and a well-thought-out design? At fredsdiyplans.com you’ll find building plans and garden projects that help you do just that. Enjoy your food forest. In a few years you’ll be reaping the fruits. Literally.