Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

permaculture - Re: [permaculture] (no subject)

permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: permaculture

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Scott Vlaun <scott@moosepondarts.com>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] (no subject)
  • Date: Thu, 15 Dec 2005 14:03:37 -0500

George,

We have a somewhat similar site in western Maine. We piled what little topsoil we had into raised beds on contour, utilized south and east facing microclimates and lots of coldframes and rowcover. Piled a lot of rocks too. Lime, compost, heavy mulches and covercrops have sweetened up the soil, worms have come, and the crops have improved yearly. We plant lots of cold hardy greens and root crops which extends the season for food harvesting well beyond frost free dates. We also rely on some fish-based fertilizer for heavy feeding crops. We could do more with storing water, but we have a reliable well, so it's not our top priority.

Good luck with it.


Scott Vlaun
Moose Pond Arts+Ecology
Design Solutions for a Sustainable Future

35 Moose Pond Road
Otisfield, Maine 04270
207-739-2409 Studio
207-890-4099 Cell


On Dec 15, 2005, at 12:52 PM, sustain_ability@123mail.org wrote:


Hello!

I have a very short growing season (late May to early August, on a wing
and a prayer and no early June frost), acidic soil that's rocky (i.e.
rocks with soil interspersed) enough that trees topple over, ample but
not abundant sunlight, enough water (but need the spring melt).

I would need to lengthen the growing season but only if the
soil/hydroponic/aquaponic or similar food production systems' fertility
could be replenished with waste products (compost, manure).

This implies some sort of sheltered environment (hoophouse, hothouse,
greenhouse, lean-to, raised bed combined with removable shade
cloth/clear plastic/heat insulating material/etc.).

I would also consider a tree garden to take advantage of enhanced
sunlight and also not to cut down forest in order to farm. The terrain
is very uneven. The property was used as a homestead over 50 years ago
with small grazing animals and very limited gardening (also exploiting a
southern facing mini-slope or parcel of land of about one acre).

This is an immense challenge for a pro, let alone a newbie. I have most
recently tried a balcony garden in the city last summer, to the great
delight of the squirrels.

Thanks in advance.
George (Laurentians, Canada)
-- A huge part of the illusion surrounding the cheap oil era is that the only alternative to modernity is the stone age.

http://www.mogiljansky.tk/ (please ignore the yahoo email address)
sustain_ability@123mail.org

--
http://www.fastmail.fm - A no graphics, no pop-ups email service

_______________________________________________
permaculture mailing list
permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/permaculture





Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page