If you studied the plants growing in natural forests, you would notice that certain species of plants tend to grow together because they benefit one another. We copy natural systems by planting our productive trees in guilds. We use plants that give us food, medicine or fibres or that have some other function such as fixing nitrogen.

A food forest can be planted over three years. First we plant the pioneers, then the more hardy indigenous trees and finally the more delicate trees. We plant lots of herbs and ground covers and also climbers and creepers that will grow on the trees.