permaculture

[Jennifer Richter <payupalice@hotmail.com>]

Hi Trudy
 
I'm trying to get a mental picture of what you're thinking of... I think your 
idea of the muslin for shading is a good one (I'm also an Austinite), and I 
recently used shredded newspaper to mulch a plant that needed to hold water 
in the soil better. 
Have you thought about sort of putting the platform up like shelves - braced 
from the bottom with some of the fence scraps? 
Also, vining veggies (like cucumber) might be a good option, some trellising 
could support some of the weight, and they would need less overall space
Jenn 
 
> Date: Fri, 19 Sep 2008 12:49:38 -0500> From: tredding@mail.utexas.edu> To: 
> permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org> CC: neighbornet@yahoogroups.com> Subject: 
> [permaculture] vegetable growing on second level> > I need ideas, west side 
> of 2 story duplex, I would like to build some> sort of porch that is just 
> for growing vegetables as I have to regularly> trim the trees on the west 
> side and south side to keep the solar panels> in the sun, therefore I have 
> lots of spare sun on the west side, in> order to shade the house and grow 
> edibles, I am looking for ideas about> portable plant tables, etc to make 
> use of this small area at second> story level so we can still get around on 
> the ground below. Any> pictures, ideas for a hot, 50% of the time humid, 
> 50% of the time dry> climate with long hot summers? I am hoping to use wood 
> scraps, an old> metal frame from a window, some ranch fencing scraps, etc> 
> > This portable "porch" would not necessarily be something I would walk> 
> on, but may be strung between the north side's real porch and the south> 
> side's real porch and would need some sort of lever or closure for> 
> occasional high winds. I have 2 sets of wood shutters that might be> useful 
> in some way. Ideas? Pot size? dept of dirt? What will grow?> Container 
> vegetables don't work well unless you are home twice a day to> water them 
> in this climate, so the deeper the dirt, a the bigger the> container, seems 
> more practical, I guess I could use white muslin for> partial shade over 
> something like I do over baby trees for the first two> years of their life, 
> old dress shirts work, right now I have scaffolding> up there for 
> repainting the house after the storm and that is what gave> me the idea.> > 
> Trudie > > 512-471-8044> > > > 
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