This blog is very informative for Agriculture and botany students. It is about Horticulture Articles, Jobs, admission and organic farming.

Designer guild:

Plant guild

A plant guild is a beneficial grouping of plants that support one and other in all their many functions exchange of nutrients, water and gases, promoting diverstification.

Functions of Plant guild in designer guild.

Nitrogen fixation

Mineral and nutrient uptake

Attractions of insects and pollinators

A biological guild is a group of organisms that use the same ecological resource in similar way.

Important plants in designer guild

Nitrogen fixing plants

There is some nitrogen fixing plants:

1. Legumes
2. Clovers
3. Beans
4. Black locust tress

Plants that take nutrients from different soil surface to the upper surface. 

• Comfrey, 
• dandelion,
•  other tap rooted species.

The dandelion absorbs calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, zinc, copper and selenium through its tap root and supply other plants as its leaves dry back and drop to the surface of the soil. There the soil biology, animals and fungi break the leaves down and makes their nutrients available for other plants.

Plant a mulberry tree between a walnut tree and an apple tree. The mulberry blocks some of the allelopathic chemical exudate of the walnut which inhibit the growth of other plants.

The oak trees offer shade to the burdoak, which drills its taproot deep into the soil profile and pulls up the minerals. Burdoak complete the mineral needs of berries.

Designer guild

Oak tree guild

Oaks (Quercus spp.) are central tree components in many yards. Bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa) and white oak (Quercus alba) both yield tasty acorns, needing minimal processing to make an edible nut flour.

The space beneath the wide spreading branches of the oak is an excellent place for the growing of shade tolerant species. One possibility is paw paw (Asimina triloba), the only temperate climate relative of the tropical custard apple. Paw paws, also called custard bananas, grow to a height of 12 to 15 feet with the fruit ripening in the fall.

Comfrey (Symphytum officinale) and horseradish (Armoracia rusticana) as deep rooted perennials can, after composting of the leaves, yield up the subsoil minerals they have bioaccumulated. Side dressing this compost around the shrubs and trees will yield the best effect. Of course, comfrey has both medicinal and livestock feed uses and horseradish makes a wonderful condiment.

The edge areas near the drip line afford enough sunlight for other species such as quince (Cydonia oblongata), and hazels (Corylus spp.). Open areas with dappled light are niches for shrubby fruits such as gooseberries (Ribes uva-crispa)and currants (Ribes nigrum and R. rubrum).

Strawberries (Fragaria x ananassa) as a groundcover can fill in the remaining sunny spaces. A substitute for strawberries could be arctic raspberry (Rubus arcticus) which will only grow to a height of 1 foot. For the shaded areas where strawberries and raspberries would not do well, wild ginger (Asarum canadense) will grow

Borage (Borago officinalis) is a bee attractant which has a beneficial effect on strawberries. The borage flower is a bright blue and is edible with an agreeable cucumber flavor. Its seeds are a source of nutritionally beneficial GLA fatty acids. Borage also self-sows, so you can plant it once and move the seedlings around the following year.