permaculture

["Forest Garden" <forestgarden@gvtc.com>]

Hi Neils,

I am working about 3/4 of an acre.  I planted about 50 different varieties
of fruit and nut trees 2 years ago.  Apples, peaches, plums, chestnuts,
almonds, filberts, mayhaws, jujubees, persimmons, etc.  I live in Central
Texzas which can be anywhere from zone 7 to 9 depending on the year.  The
soil is a sandy loam - but put some emphasis on that 'sandy' part.  Its a
rare micro region for this part of Texas.  We have chicckens and guiennas
and they have free range in the orchard with no problems yet, in fact, I
want them there to eat the grasshoppers.  Its such a big area, and there is
much more acerage for them roam to raom on, we haven't had any problems with
them eating the cover crops or bothering the trees (yet).  Guiennas are much
better for grasshopper control, but they are very noisy and its hard to fidn
thier eggs.

I planted a clover mix from Peaceful Valley Organics - touted as a
perriennal low growing mix.  I never had to mow.  I am not sure what was in
ti - white and red from New Zealand?  Its taken the Texas heat quite well
(surprise, surprise!).  I am in the process of refining my irrigation and
because the delivery of water hasn't been otpimal, the clover didn't make it
on some of the trees and I am now re-planting (had hoped to get it done this
fall, but life has a way of bringing other tasks to the forefront...).
Where the clover did best, I believe it was because of the microrhizal fungi
I also put in the mix.

I regularly spray with compost tea made from seaweed.  And this fall I
started putting down some good quality compost around each tree to feed it.
I am still working on getting it out there to the last of them!

That's about it.  Sorry no pics, not much to see  - it's still very early
days with the orchard.  Sometimes its been hard to find the trees from the
weeds!  hee hee.  Our local gardening expert says 'the first year they
sleep, the second they creep, and the third they leap'.  So I am hoping to
see a big leap this year.

Cheers,

Marjory

----- Original Message -----
From: "Niels" <mudguard@gmail.com>
To: "permaculture" <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Sunday, January 29, 2006 1:39 PM
Subject: Re: [permaculture] using old carpet


> Margory,
>
> No I haven't xperienced bermuda grass, the nearest I have seen is couch
> here in the UK.
>
> Don't see any reason why the "carpeting-down" in rings as you say won't
> work.
> One thing people do with carpet and couch grass on paths is to wait till
> the grass grows through it then rip up the carpet, grass and all, and
> turn it over.
>
> Some other questions if you will:
>
> When trying to establish the white clover, was seeding coupled with
> mowing? Was the overseeding and  repeated?
> Did you use Ladino clover?
> Any experience with over stocking chickens in the orchard?
> What age are your trees? Type etc? I ask this in relation to grassing
> down and its effect on vegetative growth.
> What kind of areas are we talking?
> And what part of the world?
> Have you tried vining cover crops? Which could be established in
> concentrated sites and spread allowed to spread out. You know so they
> become a problem in their own right, even knotweed (gasp).
>
> Sounds really interesting setup, any pics?
>
> Regards,
> Niels
>
> nocompost.blogspot.com
>
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