The Grampians Fruit Forest

The Grampians Fruit Forest

Below is the evolution of this project. You can also catch our latest posts here, follow the action at the Grampians Fruit Forest on instagram, facebook or watch our mini-series, 4Us…with Mel & Frank, for a laugh.

In 2020 we were given the opportunity to build and maintain a fruit forest on a property in the Grampians, Victoria. Since this day, Mel has delved into the world of permaculture and horticulture to create (well at least on paper) a small (31m x 31m) diverse forest. The space was a blank sloping block on old pastural land where kangaroos roamed and gums and wattles dominated the surrounding national park of Geriwerd. After numerous designs and reworks, Mel handed a plan to Frankie and requested “one fruit tree enclosure, swales and irrigation system please”.

Latitude: 36 degrees South.

Elevation: 230m above sea level

Climate: warm temperate

Annual Rainfall: ~700mm

Soils: clays on granite

The Plan


The original design , 31m x 31m. The trees are predominantly stone fruit and almond. Acacias are the predominant support tree (nitrogen-fixers). the water management system includes swales (dark orange) and irrigation (red lines).

The Journey

Starting with soil amendment: lime.
March 2021: measuring up the enclosure.

Cutting the swales.
Breaking ground.
Drilling post holes.
Cleaning out post holes.
Happy days: poles are up.
Lifting the entrance into place.
The hard part: pulling the net over the poles
Soil amendment: covering with sheep poo and lucerne straw from neighbouring farm. Green manure of oat seed is broadcast.
April 2021: the enclosure is finished. Hooray
“Frankie, I am sure that is not meant to happen”. Winter Storm damage.

First batch of fruit trees planted and the oats are growing.
Swales are slowing down the movement of water.
Time to chop and drop the green manure
August: First flowers on the stone fruit.
Preparing for a hot Grampians summer: the watering system is a go!
December: it’s getting drier but the trees are growing stronger.

2022

January: raspberries only 6 months after planting.
February: summer pruning.
March: the nitrogen-fixers, native wattle varieties, are growing well. They will capture nitrogen from the atmosphere and put it into the soil.

You can also catch our latest posts here, follow the action at the Grampians Fruit Forest on instagram, facebook or watch our mini-series, 4Us…with Mel & Frank, for a laugh.