Working in the Orchard and Garden Planning

We've finally seen the last of 80+ degree temperatures for the year, we hope. But still we may don sweatshirts in the morning but are shucking them off by 11. And now, our work begins in the planned orchard. Our homestead is pretty much a hands on type of endeavor. We don't have huge tractors or machinery to do what we need to do. It's all hands on manual labor. Sure we hire out some things, like building the new driveway and the clearing of the orchard area, that's only smart thinking. It can be done quicker and it's less wear and tear on our bodies. We ain't spring chickens anymore going on our 60th year on this planet. I'm well into the fall hen stage and looking forward to my next stage of life. All the rest of the work is up to us. In organic gardening, you get up close and personal with your food. To me, it makes it taste so much better when the love that goes into them returns to boost the flavors and nutrition.

With our wood shed filled and the garden put to bed until spring, we are now able to tackle the orchard. It's slow going when it's only one and a half women working. With the purchase of a lawn tractor, I'm now able to venture down the tiers of the orchard more easily and safely. I've taking quite a few tumbles and falls lately. Mel Jerry-rigged a hitch that would allow us to pull the lawn cart behind it. This helped her finish the chicken coop by allowing her to stack all the necessary items from the barn to the chicken area.

I'm happy to report that the chicken coop and run are finally complete. All but the two extra roosters, we still haven't culled them, are in there. Yes, finally! I can look forward to having a productive garden in the spring. I've only been saying this for two years now. But now, it's finally done. No more gathering eggs from four different locations. No more chickens to eat sprouted seed, seed, nor sunbathing in newly planted areas. No more chickens eating almost ready to harvest produce. Of course that also means, more bugs to deal with, but I can handle that. We ferment non gmo grain for the chickens and supplement their diet with commercial, organic feed. For added calcium for the layers, we'll fine grind dried egg shells and feed it back to them. About a cup of ground egg shells to 12 cups of fermented grain is the ratio we use. The commercial layer pellets are given as a treat during the day. Leftover cooked grains, breads, meat, and vegetables are scattered in the evening. Our chickens feast like kings, but they also feed us.

 We will be laying the cardboard down in a thick layer to suppress any unwanted weeds. It will also encourage the earthworm population. We've broken down all that have come into the house including soda boxes, Mel and I are both heavily addicted to sodas for months now. But this will not be enough for our orchard space. We'll have to go into town several times for box and pail runs at our local grocery stores to cover the area. We pick up empty frosting, pickle, and such to reuse on the homestead. These have multiple uses on the homestead.

We'll be picking up two rolls of wheat straw to spread over the top of the cardboard. Mind you this is also over about a foot of wood chips. It may seem like all of this is over kill, but the results of the fine composted soil in the spring is worth it. The next layer will be composting manured straw from the chickens and rabbits. Although we don't have a year's worth, it may cover half of the area. I will also sprinkle lime, blood and bone meal to it to add the nitrogen booster it all needs to compost. After that, It's up to mother nature to water it all in over the winter.

You may wonder why I'm bothering to travel and pick up wheat straw where there are tons of hay nearer to me. Wheat straw has channels which allow air, water, and nutrients to pass through it. If it's moldy straw, all the better. It will compost fast. If the straw is seedy, the wheat grass or clover that sprouts will be fed to the rabbits and chickens. Those inky, black mushrooms that also sprout up can be harvested for black dye for wool. Nothing goes to waste on this homestead. We just harvest it and use it.

Car park before clearing

I  did the same to our vegetable patch on a much smaller scale. This year I'm also trying something new this spring. Straw bale gardening. The area where the fence (the edge of our garden patch) is in the picture was cleared of Spanish Bayonets and a tree stump by our hero Bobby when the driveway was put in. The fence is now rolled up and put away for the winter thanks to Mel's moveable fence posts. It is a driveway or parking area close to the house. In fact we can almost back up to the front steps.

I was thinking of a way to border the garden area along this short 25' area without using fencing and build up the soil in this new area. This seems to be the way to go. After two years, I'll have a thick layer of composted material in which to plant. I was thinking of planting green peas and green beans in the bales. I'm also thinking of transplanting my rosemary and lavender into a couple of bales along the far side too.  The rosemary and lavender will have years of material to digest as they grow. Especially since the three peach trees, now residing in one corner of my garden, will be moved down into the orchard in the spring.

As vegetables finish their life cycle including making seed for next year, they will be replace with other herbs and vegetables until cooler weather returns to us once more. I can companion plant Diakon radishes, Napa and regular cabbage, carrots, leeks, onions, and such. I usually plant my peppers into between my tomatoes in case you were wondering. I do love my sauerkraut and kim chi for some fabulous probiotic eating. All of these are early spring and fall plantings.

I also plan on setting t-posts or Mel's moveable fence posts and old fence to supports some vegetables while others get recycled pallet A-frame supports.

After all, it's reuse and repurpose first on this Cockeyed Homestead.

Y'all have a blessed day.