Post by kansasterri on Mar 24, 2011 6:07:43 GMT -6
I am starting another thread for my second garden. It WAS going to be a market garden, but the symptoms of MS reared their ugly head right after signing over the down payment.....
I am now interested in Permaculture for that land: plant once and just keep harvesting! I talk things over here, www.permies.com , though it is heavy on theory and people are only trying it out in practice. I fit right in! We are all trying to make things work with some successes!
At any rate, I got asparagus established a few years back, and after studying up on permaculture I am establishing native plum trees this year ($1 each from the state forestry department, and they come in bundles of 25 which is what i bought), and I have also ordered small amounts of other plants from a nursery that I think will work there. I will grow the other plants (elderberries and saskatoons) in my back yard and root cuttings for the permaculture garden.
SO! The American Plum trees arrived 2 days ago, when I was sick. And, I was really too busy yesterday to get them in EXCEPT that my son wanted to borrow $5, and he had not yet paid back what he borrowed from me last week during spring break. I refused, but said that I would hire him at $5 an hour.
So, instead of cooking dinner last night we drove out to the Permaculture garden, and planted the plum trees near the creek and up the hillside.
The trees were offered for sale for conservation purposes and that creek is trying to erode, so my concience is clear! Besides, the trees have a better chance of survival near the creek as they would be fiendishly hard to water! I also tried dipping the roots in a slurry made from water-retaining crystals but I was NOT! impressed: not many crystals stuck to the roots. Next time I will soak the crystals and mix them into the soil.
Now, my ankles are no good and DS is not to lift with his right arm because the cast just came off, but he could stomp the shovel in and I could lift the dirt out, so that is that we did. Between us we made one good person!
We were unable to get the holes deep enough for the longer roots, so I planted some of those trees at an angle! Well, they might be at an angle but they should live and bear well: other than being put in crooked planting conditions were almost perfect, the soil was only damp, the crystals are in, the trees were beautifully dormant, they were planted up to the spot on the stem where they were planted before, and I used all of my skill in packing the damp soil around the roots. If we get a rain within the next week or so to KEEP the soil damp, every tree should take.
It remains to be seen if the trees near the creek or away from the creek survive long term: that creek DOES flood a bit and erode a bit! And I can carry water to the higher trees for a bit but not for a lifetime. Sooner or later they will be on their own.
I left small hollows around the trees so I can water but I really hope I do not HAVE to! Carrying water down the hillside would be very, very hard. So would carrying water up from the creek.
Well, the trees are planted and I am hoping for plums next year. MAYBE, anyways! Permaculture sounds promising: plant once and harvest yearly! So far I have established asparagus, daffodils, and chives (not onions, onions failed) and I am working on establishing plums, saskatoons, and elderberries.
No doubt I will find other plants to establish as time goes on.
And, since I was planting trees yesterday instead of cooking we brought food home from sonic.
I am now interested in Permaculture for that land: plant once and just keep harvesting! I talk things over here, www.permies.com , though it is heavy on theory and people are only trying it out in practice. I fit right in! We are all trying to make things work with some successes!
At any rate, I got asparagus established a few years back, and after studying up on permaculture I am establishing native plum trees this year ($1 each from the state forestry department, and they come in bundles of 25 which is what i bought), and I have also ordered small amounts of other plants from a nursery that I think will work there. I will grow the other plants (elderberries and saskatoons) in my back yard and root cuttings for the permaculture garden.
SO! The American Plum trees arrived 2 days ago, when I was sick. And, I was really too busy yesterday to get them in EXCEPT that my son wanted to borrow $5, and he had not yet paid back what he borrowed from me last week during spring break. I refused, but said that I would hire him at $5 an hour.
So, instead of cooking dinner last night we drove out to the Permaculture garden, and planted the plum trees near the creek and up the hillside.
The trees were offered for sale for conservation purposes and that creek is trying to erode, so my concience is clear! Besides, the trees have a better chance of survival near the creek as they would be fiendishly hard to water! I also tried dipping the roots in a slurry made from water-retaining crystals but I was NOT! impressed: not many crystals stuck to the roots. Next time I will soak the crystals and mix them into the soil.
Now, my ankles are no good and DS is not to lift with his right arm because the cast just came off, but he could stomp the shovel in and I could lift the dirt out, so that is that we did. Between us we made one good person!
We were unable to get the holes deep enough for the longer roots, so I planted some of those trees at an angle! Well, they might be at an angle but they should live and bear well: other than being put in crooked planting conditions were almost perfect, the soil was only damp, the crystals are in, the trees were beautifully dormant, they were planted up to the spot on the stem where they were planted before, and I used all of my skill in packing the damp soil around the roots. If we get a rain within the next week or so to KEEP the soil damp, every tree should take.
It remains to be seen if the trees near the creek or away from the creek survive long term: that creek DOES flood a bit and erode a bit! And I can carry water to the higher trees for a bit but not for a lifetime. Sooner or later they will be on their own.
I left small hollows around the trees so I can water but I really hope I do not HAVE to! Carrying water down the hillside would be very, very hard. So would carrying water up from the creek.
Well, the trees are planted and I am hoping for plums next year. MAYBE, anyways! Permaculture sounds promising: plant once and harvest yearly! So far I have established asparagus, daffodils, and chives (not onions, onions failed) and I am working on establishing plums, saskatoons, and elderberries.
No doubt I will find other plants to establish as time goes on.
And, since I was planting trees yesterday instead of cooking we brought food home from sonic.
)