Be careful about growing exotic and introduced plants in wild lands.
Most vegetable crops are annuals and will not make it through the winter.
Apple trees might survive on the right site.

 

Where I live now, there was once a locally famous orchard in the late 1800s thru the mid 1900's -- turns out that the soil and microclimate here is absolutely perfect for growing incredibly tasty apples, on big, healthy trees.

If you know where to look, and what to watch for, there are wild apples here and there throughout this area, mixed in with the canyon walnut and oak. They're descendants from the original orchards. There's a bunch all up and down Ellison Creek.

None of the ones I've found so far has palatable fruit. Mostly, they taste like apple shaped celery, or jicama root, only less tasty. Not like, you know, an apple. No sweetness.

Apples do not breed true from seed. The apples you eat in the store, or grow in your back yard, are literal clones of each other. Only once in a blue moon is an apple tree grown from seed going to have tasty fruit.

 

I wouldn't introduce anything that wasn't native or already there. There are some native species around here that would likely do well though. To answer your question; no, I've never done that.

As ppine said most vegetables are annuals. Most fruit trees are propagated by grafting as their seeds won't necessarily be true-to-name. Around here American plum, pecans, blue berry, black berry, and muscadines are all native just to name a few.

Many of the grafted varieties would need a pollinator. You could find the seeds for wild plum or pecans online, assuming they grew in your region.

At the very least you'd probably make some of the local wildlife happy.

 

+1 for helping the good stuff that is already there or nearby propagate. Selective thinning can be very useful.

 

I'd check out the edibles that grow naturally and plant them. Most garden variety vegetables won't survive a wild environment. Heirloom plants or naturally wild plants. The deer and bear will thank you.

Apples will take a long time to mature. Johnny Appleseed was not planting for his own benefit.

 

That's illegal in many places...

 

When you go hiking, do you ever leave the trail in various places to plant some seeds such as watermelon and tomatoes, apple tree, etc, in a spot noone would notice? that may come in handy one day.

Just remember to always planting your seedling under enough canopy cover to provide concealment, and pay attention to the humidity requirement of the plant. I recommended Cannabis ruderalis variant for temperate climate.

 

My Grandfather’s people, Uncompahgre Ute, used to plant annual crops in certain places as they traveled to Nebraska, then they’d harvest them on the way back to Utah.

 

Propagate or grow domesticated versions of the natural ones growing there.

In my area (zone 2b), it would be; strawberry, blueberry (lowland and big bilberry), saskatoons, raspberry, dewberry, bearberry, bunchberry, etc.

I thought of planting chokecherry saplings (they grow up here, haven't seen any wild ones yet), haskaps could grow here and some varieties of apples grown for our zone.

 

This concept can be known as guerrilla gardening. It could be illegal in your area.

 

I wouldn't do this in a wilderness area, but other places are so surrounded by modern farming and introduced flora that it wouldn't make much difference. Just don't add something invasive that will overtake habitat for natural plants. I know some states are breaking their budget trying to eradicate things like Russian Olive brought in as an ornamental.

If you live somewhere in Kentucky it sure isn't going to hurt it to add ramps to an area that doesn't have them, or sweet potatoes to Louisiana. Watermelon wouldn't be my choice but parsnips naturalize well, as do some strains of garlic and onion. Some carrots go wild as well, and an apple tree every dozen acres wouldn't upset anyone's native flora.

 

When you go hiking, do you ever leave the trail in various places to plant some seeds such as watermelon and tomatoes, apple tree, etc, in a spot noone would notice? that may come in handy one day. I'm just thinking that if you had to bug out to these woods one day, you'd know where some food is growing.

any idea what to plant that may start to grow wild year after year?

thanks.

Little side note of history: often times ppl who drove the chuck wagons on cattle drives where know to have planted several trail gardens along the cattle trail they traveled every year.


It is said that some trail cooks planted pepper seeds, oregano, and onions in mesquite patches (to protect them from foraging cattle) to use on future trail drives. It is thought that the chile peppers used in the earliest dishes were probably chilipiquo, which grow wild on bushes in Texas, particularly the southern part of the state

https://whatscookingamerica.net/History/Chili/ChiliHistory.htm



I would make my gardens in patches to increase the probability of it surviving. Like 100 seed in one spot of pinto beans, 100 yrds away plant 100 seeds of squash. another 100 yrds plant tomatoes....ect. also learn what spices help what veggies like its good to plant basil with tomatoes it helps keep certain insects away. If your spot doesn't take try a different veggie the next year that may like and make a wild patch.

Even if you do get a patch going wild life will eat some if not all of your veggie but that means a well fead meat source


History does trend to repeat itself

 

In Missouri it is illegal to do this on state land. Apples do not grow true from seed like peaches do. If you are going to try this you will have to trespass onto private land or have an accident and accidently drop some seeds. Please, no exotics, we have enough of a problem here with those things. On the flip side, the Stark Delicious apple came from a volunteer tree when a farmer's son threw an apple core into a fence row and grew a new variety of apple.

 

I do that sorta think rather often around here. Most of the stuff is native type plants. But I dont just grow stuff there that might one day help me, I grow stuff to help the wild life out too. Not only might I one day need a bag of apples to see me through, I might need some of those animals too!

 

Depending on the region of the country, the native peoples may have beaten you to it by a thousand years or more.

Along the eastern seaboard, to this very day, unattended for over 500 years, one can still find a species of Chenopodium called lambsquarters growing wild. You have likely pulled it as a weed from your garden. In pre-Columbian America, it was the number one edible green in the eastern half of the country, and it was cultivated in the semi-wild, as you are intending. It is also not an ecological threat throughout its native range.

European settlers brought with them various mustards, which have all escaped to the wild, along with other Brassica species. These are triploid plants which hybridize according to a genetic phenomena described by the Triangle of W. They will naturalize, though not as readily as lambsquarters. They are also no ecological threat.

Beyond that, focus on native fruits (paw-paw, sand plum, blackcap, elderberry, etc. for this region) and nuts (chestnut, walnut, etc.), though beware not to introduce seeds with blight, esp if there is no endemic chestnut blight in your area.

 

I have thought of planting old varieties (not grafted) of apple trees as well as wild grape and wild plum from cuttings on several parks that I take care of as well as on other pieces of public land and islands near by.

To plant them just take cuttings that are at least 3 buds long and poke them into the ground so one bud is below ground. In my experience about 1 out of 5 makes it through the first year but since it only takes a minute or two to cut them and plant them it doesn't really matter.

 

Beware of plums...!
Those things will grow into a wild clump of tangled mess.
The plums that drop will sprout and grow,
then soon you’ll have several bushes trying to be trees.
I know of many people who plant asparagus along ditches,
then fight with their neighbors about who gets the harvest.
Rhubarb might be a good one too.

 

I have mixed feelings about the notion. Usually, introducing a new species to an area is a bad idea.

Look around at what grows in your area first. Is there a way to improve that existing growth? Are there plants which may benefit from added varieties to? Improved genetic diversity? How about creating micro-environments by berming up small run-off zones with rock and soil? Piling litter to encourage nutrient/water retention?

I would stay away from just introducing a completely foreign specie and letting it go wild, usually causes more harm than good.

 

no - have you ever plantet and growed things? did'n think so

 

No...Never.... for a lot of reasons....Most discussed.

Spend your time and effort learning what grow naturally, where it grows, when to harvest, and how to use it.

I have several types of PITA plants, that arrived here by "helpful people".....with a bright idea.