A Plan For All Things

done

Two fruit salad trees - one stone (with apricot), one apple - both planted into pots.

On the stonefruit salad trees, the apricots are always planted on the bottom graft; it means they don't seem to get as much of the energy flow through the rootstock as they need: they're always the smallest and slowest to bloom, while the peaches just go hell for leather. I've lost about four apricot grafts before this one and this is my last try. If it doesn't work, I'm just going to get an all-apricot tree and go with that. Easier. Plus, more apricots!

doing

It's been a dry winter, so I'm watering the fruit trees fairly regularly right now. The bush turkeys have been digging up the dirt in the pots, though, and my sister put some roof tiles down on top of the pots, which seems to have worked in deterring them. Seeing as we're not going to ever use those tiles, it's not a bad idea!

plans

I'm wondering if I should start planting things now. I could probably make a little cold frame out of wire and glad wrap: or possibly just find a 25L clear storage box, upend it, and turn it into a small greenhouse for shoots, etc. But it would give me a small headstart on the garden when we take possession.

Clear and compost the woodchips, dig out the old rotted stump. Put down some mulch. The fruit trees are going in just as soon as I have a clear day.

Huh. I better start making some mulch for the fruit trees! And make sure the worms have good production going. MORE VEGIES!

Chooks are still in the plan. I'm a little daunted by the idea though. Living things in the garden. That I'm supposed to be tending. I definitely want the eggs and the mulch, but I'm not sure about the bother - and the neighbours, and neighbours' pets, etc. To say nothing of my two (indoor) cats. And there's the whole 'if I want a permaculture garden in the style of Linda Woodrow, at least part of it is going to be in the front yard'.

reading

I bought Jackie French's book about self-sufficiency. I doubt that we'll ever head that way, but she's got some good advice. And I like that the book is tips and tricks, not just a list of vegetables/fruits and where they should be grown, which is every other gardening book EVER in Kinokuniya.

Must remember to bring it on the commute so I can pore over it.