Building Capacity
I have spent a lot of time maintaining the planting areas we installed so far. Its hard to keep up while working on so many things back in the economic world. Gradually though I can see how the natural system outputs and yields we are building will augment if not replace the patronage system of work and pay. It is a slow soilution that builds momentum over time. Plants need to get established and that is about how long it takes me to adjust.
On the weekend I took out an old section of rotting fence, near a cement slab by our polebarn, and replaced it with 8 foot posts, rails and sheep fence. We now have another planting area for container plants. The only new material was the posts. Everything else came from the previous structure or from stockpiled material we have salvaged.
Sheep fence is $250 for a 100 foot roll. You will now find me stamping on old fencing in the driveway trying to flatten it out for a new use. We have hundreds of yards of overgrown and forgotten fencing waiting to be rescued from the woods and wetlands. The same with T posts and wire. But I digress.
Last fall I started a nursery area and covered it with cardboard and woodchips this spring. I have 5 Beach plums started and will now transplant in Seaberry, Wild Blue Indigo, Currant, Ligon berry and other young plants.
Both of these new growing areas are well over sized. I figure over time we will fill them up with perennials as the orchard pops up new stock for us. Many friends have given us surplus plants too, I hope to do the same.
On the weekend I took out an old section of rotting fence, near a cement slab by our polebarn, and replaced it with 8 foot posts, rails and sheep fence. We now have another planting area for container plants. The only new material was the posts. Everything else came from the previous structure or from stockpiled material we have salvaged.
Sheep fence is $250 for a 100 foot roll. You will now find me stamping on old fencing in the driveway trying to flatten it out for a new use. We have hundreds of yards of overgrown and forgotten fencing waiting to be rescued from the woods and wetlands. The same with T posts and wire. But I digress.
Last fall I started a nursery area and covered it with cardboard and woodchips this spring. I have 5 Beach plums started and will now transplant in Seaberry, Wild Blue Indigo, Currant, Ligon berry and other young plants.
Both of these new growing areas are well over sized. I figure over time we will fill them up with perennials as the orchard pops up new stock for us. Many friends have given us surplus plants too, I hope to do the same.
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