Estimate food forest yield, plant count and annual harvest based on area and climate zone.
A food forest is a layered garden system designed to produce food with minimal ongoing maintenance — mimicking the structure of a natural forest with canopy trees, understorey fruit trees, shrubs, ground covers, vines, and root crops all working together. Getting the spacing, density, and species mix right from the start saves a lot of remedial work later.
This calculator helps you plan your food forest planting by working out how many trees and plants fit in your space based on their mature canopy sizes, and gives you a rough guide to the yield you might expect at maturity.
A food forest takes patience — most systems take 3-7 years to become productive and 10-15 years to reach maturity. But once established, a well-designed food forest produces food with very little input compared to a conventional vegetable garden.
An orchard is typically monoculture rows of one or a few species, managed with regular mowing, pruning, spraying, and fertilising. A food forest mimics ecosystem diversity — many species in a layered structure that, once established, largely self-maintains through the relationships between plants, insects, fungi, and soil organisms.
Queensland's subtropical and tropical climate suits an enormous range: mango, avocado, jackfruit, and citrus for the canopy layer; guava, lemon myrtle, jaboticaba, and mulberry for understorey; passionfruit, choko, and vanilla for climbers; ginger, turmeric, and comfrey for ground layers. Choose species suited to your specific microclimate and soil.
You can start a functional food forest in as little as 50-100 square metres. A productive family system typically needs 200-500m². Large systems of 1000m²+ can produce a significant proportion of a household's food needs year-round.
Generally no for a home garden, even a large one. Some councils have rules about canopy trees near boundaries or structures, and some heritage overlays restrict what can be planted. Check with your local council if planting significant trees.