Case Study — Yulee, FL
Backyard
Food Forest
Converting a standard Florida lawn into a productive perennial food system. 1,800 sq ft — the size of an average suburban backyard. Every plant, every tree, and over 200 bags of mulch transported in a Honda Civic. No truck. No synthetic inputs. Just time, observation, and a 2012 Honda Civic sedan.
The Transformation
Before & After
Same backyard. Same perspective. 3 years apart. The lawn is gone. The system feeds itself.
April 2023 — Before
April 2026 — Year 3
April 2026 — Left side. Bannana, Mulberry, Fig (Back Corner) Peach, Goji bushes, Peach, Tithonia, Elderberry, Lemon Tree Center (Recovering) .
April 2026 — Right side. Cattle Pannel Trelis with Coral Honeysuckle growing along the side. Recovering bananas, strawberries and Lesser Galangal. The right side of the trelis has a Tithonia row making its comeback with some Lemon Balm, Jewel of Opar and Comfrey. Behind the Galangal is the Kumquat tree with more comfrey and some ginger.
How It Started
Breaking Ground
Sheet mulching started July 8, 2023. Just wood chips on top, plants in the same day. No tilling. No soil removal. The lawn dies (Slowly since I didnt use Cardboard) underneath and feeds the system as it breaks down.
July 8, 2023 — First plants in ground. Back row: Dorset Apple (Left) Tithonia Mulberry (Right) Middle is a tiny Moringa Front center is a Harvey Lemon and on boths sides banana (I believe Ice Cream or Java variety).
July 9, 2023 — Back row view. Mulberry (Red or Purple), Turmeric off to the left and Comfrey and Pineapple Sage (Bottom Right). Continuing forwad is a tiny Goji Berry with Society Garlic followed by the original Tithonia. Center right was a Thyme patch that I planted from a grow bag. (Same one from the April 2023 — Before picture)
July 29, 2023 — Sheet mulch linking all beds. You can see some additions the middle I added Sweet Potato cuttings under the mulch. Back right between Tithonia and Mulberry is a Cranberry Hibiscus.
Year 1 — August & September 2023
Establishment
Six weeks in. Some things are taking off. Some are struggling. The weeds are arriving. The wildlife noticed before I did.
August 2023 — Back left corner. Lemongrass with Turmeric and Comfrey establishing. Dorset Apple on the right with Clover and Perennial Peanut clump forming.
August 2023 — Central view showing everything growing. Cuban Oregano around the Lemon Tree, new addition of Shampoo Ginger up front.
August 2023 — Making an ecosystem. Removed Morning Glory from the Oak tree, added Sunshine Mimosa, Rootbeer Plant, and Roselle Hibiscus. Added a water dish to attract frogs. This photo has a frog in the dish with mushrooms growing in the mulch. The system started attracting wildlife faster than expected.
September 2023 — Same area one month later. The Sunshine Mimosa and Rootbeer Plant filling in around the Oak.
September 2023 — Moringa and Tithonia noticeably bigger. Sweet Potato patch grew larger than anticipated. Kumquat tree added to the left. Planted Lavender and Vietnamese Coriander by the Lemon Tree. Weeds starting to push through the sheet mulch — mostly Florida Betony, which is edible and the bees loved the flowers so I left it alone.
September 2023 — Chaya showing multiple Green Frogs and lizards. This plant had an aphid problem. I left it alone and the predators moved in on their own.
Year 1 — October–December 2023
Taking Hold
The system started to look intentional. Tithonia hit peak height. Florida Betony took over the ground layer and I let it. A raptor showed up. The food web was assembling itself.
November 2023 — Central view. Tithonia at peak height for the season. Heavy competition around the Lemon Tree — Cuban Oregano, Sunshine Mimosa, and Vietnamese Cilantro all competing for space. Added more Sunshine Mimosa for nitrogen fixation.
November 2023 — New Tithonia on the right both flowering. Florida Betony completely out of control in the ground layer. Left it alone — it's edible, nitrogen fixing, and the bees didn't complain.
November 2023 — Some sort of Raptor checking out the setup. When predators start visiting you know the food web is working.
Year 2 — February & March 2024
Coming Back
First winter behind us. Most things survived. The weeds came back faster than the plants. Added strawberries, a white mulberry, and started making proper paths with sticks and logs.
February 2024 — Harvey Lemon after a mild winter. Strawberries added along the front border. Still pretty weedy — was worried at this point about what would come back.
March 2024 — Paths made with sticks and logs. Zoomed out view showing the whole yard still coming out of dormancy.
March 2024 — The Oak tree area. Rootbeer Plant making a comeback. The Roselle didn't survive winter.
March 2024 — Left side. Lemongrass making a comeback. Added a White Mulberry tree, Kale, and Purple Salvia. Everything still pretty dormant.
March 2024 — Full yard view including the grow bag garden. Used grow bags as nursery starts before planting directly in the ground.
March 2024 — Mulberry starting to fruit and get new growth. Marigolds dispersed throughout for pest deterrence alongside Society Garlic.
March 2024 — Expanded this area into a full row. Chaya in the middle, Banana up front, Kumquat in the back. Comfrey, Nasturtiums, Marigolds, Strawberries, Mojito Mint, Lemon Thyme, Onions, and Lesser Galangal patch starting on the middle left. Marigolds spread throughout for pest control — worked well.
Year 2 — April & May 2024
The Frog Pond
Decided it was time to stop attracting frogs accidentally and start attracting them on purpose. Dug a pond, stocked it with local macro and microfauna captured from retention ponds, and waited. First frog moved in within 30 days.
April 2024 — New patch addition to what is now the banana grove. Two figs up front with Nasturtiums, Sedum, Marigolds, and Red Button Ginger (mislabeled as Shampoo Ginger at purchase). PVC used to shape the bed. Bird bath added.
April 2024 — Built a walk-under arch trellis and planted Maypop Passion Vine. PVC used to keep it relatively straight. Not aiming for perfection.
April 2024 — Added water, Hornwort, and other aquatic plants. Stocked with local macro and microfauna captured from retention ponds — minnows, microbes, the whole food web. Poured it in and let it establish. Yes, I was capturing microbes from retention ponds like a weirdo. It worked.
May 1, 2024 — First frog moved into the pond. Exactly what this was built for.
May 2024 — Aquatic plants taking off. The pond ecosystem establishing faster than expected.
Year 2 — July–September 2024
Summer Explosion
Florida summer did what Florida summer does. Everything went vertical. Then two windstorms in quick succession took out the Tithonia, damaged the Moringa, collapsed the Chaya, and destroyed the trellis. The system absorbed it and kept going.
August 2024 — Maypop Passion Vine now along both sides of the trellis. Added another Red Button Ginger — hummingbirds absolutely love it.
August 2024 — Tithonia bringing in the Green Tree Frogs.
September 2024 — Closer shot of the trellis showing passion fruit. Everything at peak size.
Year 2 — October–December 2024
October 2024 — Went up on the roof to get a full overview. Florida Betony still dominating ground cover. Trellis rebuilt but the vine never looked the same.
October 2024 — Pruned and tried to bring back the Chaya. It's alive. It never fully recovered.
October 2024 — Planted Singapore Daisy in the Tithonia row. Pretty invasive — wouldn't recommend. Also more Turmeric. At this stage actively using Tithonia for chop-and-drop.
December 2024 — Big freeze. Everything starting to die back. End of Year 2.
Year 3 — January 2025
It Snowed in Florida
January 2025 brought snow to Yulee. Not supposed to happen. At that point I assumed everything was done for. It wasn't.
January 2025 — First update of the year and it snowed. Not supposed to snow in Florida. Assumed everything was finished.
January 2025 — Kumquat and Lemon Tree thriving with snow on the ground. The guy at the nursery told me the Harvey Lemon once established should handle snow. He was right.
Year 3 — March & April 2025
Post-Snow Recovery
Spread Crimson and Dutch Clover and Daikon Radish after the snow. The Daikon became one of the best decisions of the year — free nutrients, bee habitat, and edible pods. Built the hummingbird garden. Replaced the destroyed trellis with a cattle panel anchored with rebar. Done with windstorms.
March 2025 — After the snow: spread Crimson and Dutch Clover and Daikon Radish throughout.
April 2025 — Started the Lanai hummingbird pollinator garden.
April 2025 — Spotted Passion Vine coming up randomly. Made a spire out of tomato cages for it to climb.
Year 3 — Late April 2025
Spring Surge
Late April and everything came back at once. The crimson clover was everywhere. Added three banana trees to the grove. The frog pond ecosystem survived the snow intact — minnows and all.
April 2025 — Crimson clover in full effect. Purple Salvia on the left, Dill and Kale growing. Pleasantly surprised the Shampoo Ginger on the right made a comeback.
April 2025 — Even the dog couldn't believe the comeback. Added 3 banana trees: 2 Ice Cream on either side, Java front center.
April 2025 — Around the Lemon Tree. Sunshine Mimosa survived the snow. Interplanted more Strawberries, Marigolds, and Borage.
April 2025 — Daikons by the Kumquat in full flower. More Comfrey added. Goji Berry still going strong on the left.
April 2025 — Longevity and Okinawa Spinach interplanted the previous year recovering post-snow. Perennial Peanut coming back.
April 2025 — Front view of the banana grove with Daikon still flowering. Java Banana center, 2 Ice Cream on either side. Pigeon Pea planted but not yet visible.
April 2025 — Right side of the new cattle panel trellis. Comfrey doing great. Lemon Balm intermixed with the clover.
April 2025 — Planted Coral Honeysuckle on the side of the trellis for a hummingbird tunnel. Passion Vines making a comeback.
April 2025 — None of the plants at the frog pond survived the snow. The ecosystem with minnows and aquatic life remained completely intact.
Year 3 — May 2025
Everything Flowering
May and the whole system was in bloom. Daikon, clover, Sunshine Mimosa all flowering at once. The nitrogen fixing stack around the Lemon Tree was clearly paying off.
May 2025 — Update by the Harvey Lemon. Sunshine Mimosa, Clover, Purple Salvia, Daikon all flowering. Chinese Lantern hidden in there too.
May 2025 — Left side. Bananas and Zanzibar Ginger making a comeback. Lemongrass doing well. Tithonia starting to get ready to explode. The one that uprooted in the windstorm — salvaged it.
May 2025 — Planted Rue, Thai Basil, another Coral Honeysuckle imagined as a giant spire. Perennial Peanut coming back up.
Year 3 — November 2025
Thriving on Neglect
By fall 2025 the strategy had shifted: feed the system with the system. Almost every Tithonia used as chop-and-drop. Lemongrass too. No more buying mulch. No more inputs. The nitrogen fixers stacked around the Lemon Tree were visibly paying off — it got massive. The drought conditions that summer were handled better than expected.
November 2025 — From the roof again. Harvey Lemon got massive. The nitrogen fixer stack — Sunshine Mimosa with Crimson Clover — was clearly paying off.
November 2025 — Cranberry Hibiscus planted on the left. Banana groves starting to create real shade. The root systems hold a lot of water — the soil around the bananas stays noticeably wetter.
November 2025 — Back row. Almost every Tithonia used as chop-and-drop at this point. Lemongrass used the same way.
November 2025 — Banana grove update. The Pigeon Pea and pretty much everything around it got massive.
November 2025 — Switched to coastal hay instead of wood chip mulch to cut costs. Coral Honeysuckle took well to the cattle panel trellis. Focused this year on feeding the system with the system. Skipped most annuals. Pushed it through drought conditions. It handled it.
Current — April 2026
Year 3 State of the System
Spring flush after another cold winter for this area. Goji and Elderberry doing great the Goji got massive. The Tithonia rows are all making a comeback and I can see the starts of the Okinawa and Longevity Spinach coming back. All of my Lemongrass clumps are making a comeback. It will be a slow creep until summer.
April 2026 — Side yard. Moved one of the above ground planters and added medicinal herbs with some peppers, Mustard greens and tomatoes in the back.
May 2025 — Lanai. Just when I added the Bottlebrush with St Johns mint as ground cover, Coral Honeysuckle, Chinese Lantern and Purple Salvia. (Idea here was for the hummingbirds which we can see from inside the house and lanai they love it!)
The Record
Monthly Timeline
75 photos across 3 years. The full record of what happened, when, and why.
Jul–Aug 2023
Breaking ground. Sheet mulching directly over grass with no cardboard — just wood chips and plants same day. Back row first: Banana, Moringa, Mulberry, Tithonia, Dorset Apple. Lost several plants to July heat before roots established. By late August: Lemongrass, Turmeric, Comfrey, Shampoo Ginger, and Cuban Oregano all in. Water dish added to attract frogs — worked immediately.
Sep–Dec 2023
First growth season. Moringa and Tithonia visibly accelerating. Sweet Potato patch larger than expected. Kumquat added. Florida Betony pushed through the mulch everywhere — left it alone, edible and the bees loved it. Chaya planted — aphids arrived, predators followed on their own. Green Frogs and lizards moved in by September. A raptor showed up in November. Tithonia hit peak height, started the row. Kumquats ripening by December.
Feb–Mar 2024
First winter survived. Most things came back. Roselle didn't make it. Added Strawberries along the front border, White Mulberry, paths made with sticks and logs. Marigolds dispersed throughout for pest control. Expanded the main row — Chaya center, Banana front, Kumquat back, with Comfrey, Nasturtiums, Mojito Mint, Lemon Thyme, and Lesser Galangal.
Apr–May 2024
Frog pond built. Dug and installed a black tub pond, stocked with local macro and microfauna captured from retention ponds — minnows, microbes, the full food web. First frog moved in within 30 days. Built a walk-under arch trellis with PVC, planted Maypop Passion Vine. Added the Banana grove patch with two Figs and Red Button Ginger.
Jul–Sep 2024
Summer explosion — then two windstorms. Passion Vine covered the trellis. Chaya and Tithonia massive. Two windstorms hit in quick succession — first uprooted the Tithonia which fell on and damaged the Moringa, second took out both the Chaya and the entire trellis. Chaya pruned back but never fully recovered. Trellis rebuilt but the vine never looked the same.
Oct–Dec 2024
Regrouping. Got on the roof for the first full overview. Started using Tithonia rows actively for chop-and-drop. Planted Singapore Daisy in the Tithonia row — invasive, spreads aggressively, wouldn't do again. Big freeze in December — everything died back to end the year.
Jan–Feb 2025
It snowed in Florida. Assumed everything was finished. Kumquat and Harvey Lemon kept thriving with snow on the ground. The frog pond ecosystem survived completely intact — minnows and all. Post-snow: spread Crimson Clover, Dutch Clover, and Daikon Radish throughout the system.
Mar–May 2025
Spring surge. Done with PVC trellises — installed a cattle panel anchored with rebar. Added 3 new Banana trees to the grove (2 Ice Cream, 1 Java). Started the Lanai hummingbird pollinator garden. Crimson Clover everywhere. Daikon in full flower — bees went crazy, edible pods as a bonus. Frog pond plants didn't survive the snow but the ecosystem rebuilt itself. Everything came back stronger than expected.
Sep–Nov 2025
Thriving on neglect. Shifted strategy — feed the system with the system. Almost every Tithonia used as chop-and-drop. Lemongrass too. No more bought mulch, switched to coastal hay. Skipped most annuals. The nitrogen fixer stack around the Harvey Lemon (Sunshine Mimosa + Crimson Clover) visibly paid off — the tree got massive. System handled drought conditions better than expected. Back row 12-15ft. Zero bare soil visible.
Apr 2026
Year 4 — Spring flush. Post-winter recovery underway. Goji and Elderberry doing great. Tithonia rows making a comeback. Okinawa and Longevity Spinach returning. All Lemongrass clumps recovering. Coral Honeysuckle established on the cattle panel. Slow creep until summer — then it will explode again.
What's Growing
Species List
Canopy
Shrub Layer
Gingers & Rhizomes
Herbaceous
Ground Cover
Nitrogen Fixers
Water & Support
Frog Pond (minnows, Hornwort, aquatic plants)
3 worm bins
Compost system
Rainwater collection
3 worm bins
Compost system
Rainwater collection
* Singapore Daisy — invasive, not recommended
The Honest Part
What Actually Happened
✓ Worked better than expected
Moringa and Tithonia as the backbone of the system. Pigeon Pea as a nitrogen source — stacked with mulch it turned the Banana grove into one of the most productive areas. Sheet mulching directly over grass with no removal and planting densly. Worm bins accelerating everything. Daikon Radish free nutrients, incredible pollinator habitat, edible pods and you can leave them to rot in the ground for free fertility. Stacking nitrogen fixers around the Lemon Tree (Sunshine Mimosa + Crimson Clover) visibly paid off by year 3 — the tree got massive. The frog pond ecosystem survived a Florida snowstorm completely intact, minnows and all. Wildlife showed up faster than expected — frogs, lizards, Green Tree Frogs, a raptor, and hummingbirds all within the first two years. Banana root systems create their own moisture zone. Also: a 2012 Honda Civic fits more mulch bags than you think.
✗ Failed or struggled
Anything that needed consistent moisture in the first summer before roots established — lost several plants to July 2023 heat. Roselle doesnt like the cold wait until you know for sure its not going to freeze before planting. Strawberries failed twice the ones that didnt where mixed with high density Sunshine Mimosa and Clover. The Chaya never fully recovered after the second windstorm despite pruning — still alive but not what it was. Two trellises destroyed by wind before switching to a cattle panel with rebar. Singapore Daisy planted in the Tithonia row — invasive, spreads aggressively, wouldn't recommend. Annuals in general need more attention than a food forest system deserves to give them unless they are providing .
→ What I'd do differently
Use cardboard under the sheet mulch from day one esspecially for pathing— skipping it meant the weeds and grass came back faster. Start with a cattle panel trellis immediately instead of cheap Amazon trellis — would have saved two rebuilds. Plant Daikon Radish, Dutch Clover and Crimson Clover right after any disturbance or bare soil appears. Start the frog pond in year one not year two — the pest control and ecosystem benefits were immediate once established. Plant Comfrey and Tithonia denser in year one. The biomass production pays dividends faster than almost anything else and bare soil is always the enemy. I also noticed the systems were at there best when it was high density high diversity. Lemongrass clumps I would divide them alot sooner because it takes awhile to recover when they are huge after winter due to amount of dead biomass still on the plant and I would have created a border faster around my yard perimeter to keep out the Armadillos and other pests. I would have only planted one Rootbeer plant. They spread quite quckly and are quite invasive.