A Note on Soil and Soil Color:
In nature and in thriving orchard systems, the soil is characterized by significant organic matter. When uncovered, this soil looks dark, soft, moist, and blackish in color. It takes significant effort to dig below the vegetative growth, leaf detritus, and surface roots to even get a glimpse of subsoil or bedrock.
In Hawai'i, subsoil tends to be red in color. This is apropos, because we're figuratively seeing the blood or the innards of the earth whenever we see red ground. On the islands, Nature seldom reveals 'the red' outside of extreme natural disasters, cliff faces, human disturbance, and human mis-tenure. Likewise, agricultural operations that expose red earth (the subsoil) often linger in the 'red' financially, energetically, and effortfully. For these areas and cases, ground restoration and regeneration usually need to preceed any nuanced considerations of future cropping, possible yields, services, or market placements. In contrast, systems that keep the ground verdant and undisturbed can realize a whole host of benefits and natural advantages, which allow agriculture to unfurl profitably and with ease, as exemplified in ICO's highlighted projects.
With soil Nutrition and Restoration, it helps to emphasize a highly dense, full planting in order to rejuvenate/modify/shade the environment and recharge the orchard's ecopotential.
Minimizing Inputs and Maximizing Quality through ICO Design
Shaping trees for natural growth, interior shade, and ease of harvest. Retains moisture naturally. Shelters 'soil' microbiology naturally.
Regarding insects, disease, and plant health:
Instead of resorting to costly & repetitive remedies, ICO re-establishes the root causes of whole system resilience. Trees in a natural forest or glen remain disease-free without teas, amendments, or other applications. Likewise in the orchards and gardens, we can design for self-fertile and robust conditions.
Keeping the ground naturally covered and dark allows microbes (fertility) to thrive. Ground is protected by decomposing plant matter or by the tree's own vegetative growth...or both!
Transitioning from soluble nutrition to biological nutrition. Effortless. Free. Plant-preferred. Doesn't run out. Doesn't wash away. (We've seen neighboring farms apply truckloads of compost and fertilizer for decades, only to have their soil health remain more-or-less the same.) Admittedly, one can induce effects (and side effects) with amendments—but beware of where all that expensive fertilizer is really flowing! How can your orchard systems better mimic the intelligent abundance of nature?
Prioritizing Photosynthesis:
ICO uses plants to restore and create healthy soil—rather than manipulating soil to stimulate unhealthy plants. Without sufficient plants in place to photosynthetically feed & harbor soil biology, horticultural routines and inputs prove short-lived at best.
More plants = more leaf area = more stored microbial energy, more organic reserves, more growth potential = more plant health, more harvests, more revenue, more orchards, more fun.
"Permanent Pau Hana."
Multitudes of easy-to-grow, marketable treasures. The exotic fruit varietal possibilities are near endless.