Groundwork — read the land, then design

◎Groundworkread the land, then design

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Design

Pick a tool, then draw on the map. Elements are saved with the project and export as GeoJSON.

Function web

Mollison's two tests: every important function is served by at least two elements, and every element does at least three jobs. The list below scores your design against both.

Plants

A curated library of proven, multi-function plants with the fields a design filters on. Reference values from the standard horticultural sources — confirm hardiness with your nearest extension office or nursery before you buy in quantity.

zone layer function sun moisture search

Guild builder

Pick the tree the guild is built around. The builder fills each role — nitrogen fixer, nectary, mulch maker, pest confuser, living mulch, root miner, berry layer — from plants that fit your zone and the tree's shade and moisture.

Learn

Short pages, in the order a design happens. Each ends with where to go deeper — and, where the app can see it, the books and papers already on your own drive.

Tools

The arithmetic behind the common decisions. Fields marked auto fill from your site analysis when it has run.

Roof catchment

roof footprintft² annual rain autoin runoff efficiency first flush per stormgal

Tank sizing

daily usegal dry spell to bridgedays

Swale sizing

catchment above the swaleac design stormin runoff fraction swale top widthft swale depthft

Slope and grade

riseft runft

On the map: the Profile / slope tool under Design draws a line and reads the elevation model along it.

Shadow length

object heightft winter-noon sun altitude auto°

Windbreak

mature heightft density

Tree spacing

mature canopy spreadft area to plantac

Compost mix (C:N)

browns (leaves, straw, chips)parts greens (grass, scraps, manure)parts

Growing season check

your frost-free days auto your GDD (base 50 °F) auto crop needs (days to maturity) crop needs (GDD)