TheFatBlueCat
Lovin' The Homestead
- Joined
- Dec 25, 2021
- Messages
- 28
- Reaction score
- 102
- Points
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I am in the process of planting more perennial crops. I already do a 'kitchen sink' permacultureish approach to all my gardening. I have several fruit trees already mature 15-20 years old (peach, plums, lemon tree, fejoa tree), and a blackberry I've had in for three years now, as well as strawberries. I've just planted 2 more plum trees this year, as well as hazelnuts, blueberries, tea shrubs, and orangeberry as a ground cover. I pop all sorts of bits and pieces in as they fit into what I'm doing. Lots of clovers, alfalfa, buckwheat, general forbes, wildflowers, sunflowers etc, I put in wherever I'm planning a future garden. I've got a choko vine (in a planter bag) I'm going to let grow up over an old roof frame outside my garden shed, as I'm told choko is super vigorous and i want it far away from anything important! Not sure if I'll keep it or not but figure I'll have a go. Grapes are on the list too but I haven't put any in yet.
In saying all that though, my berries are all together in one spot that allows me to net them. The blackberries are trellised. The grapes will be trellised. I grow whatever ground covers I can in between stuff.
Last year I just dug up a section of lawn/pasture when I needed to expand my squash section. It's back to pasture now. I say pasture as I don't keep a lawn so to speak, I keep my lawn managed like a pasture.
I think it all comes down to what works for you in your own space. And yes, I have a lot of plums, and yes, I do get sick of canning/freezing/jamming/dehydrating them! I don't get sick of eating the efforts of my labour though.
I like the perennials because they are less work. I plant the vast majority of my annuals as transplants, and by the beginning of summer my spring excitement at starting seeds and putting the first seedlings into the ground has given way to exhaustion at potting on yet another round of seedlings. Most of my attempts at direct sowing has been thwarted by slugs. My slug populations are pretty epic.
I love it all though. And I'm always learning new things, every day!
In saying all that though, my berries are all together in one spot that allows me to net them. The blackberries are trellised. The grapes will be trellised. I grow whatever ground covers I can in between stuff.
Last year I just dug up a section of lawn/pasture when I needed to expand my squash section. It's back to pasture now. I say pasture as I don't keep a lawn so to speak, I keep my lawn managed like a pasture.
I think it all comes down to what works for you in your own space. And yes, I have a lot of plums, and yes, I do get sick of canning/freezing/jamming/dehydrating them! I don't get sick of eating the efforts of my labour though.
I like the perennials because they are less work. I plant the vast majority of my annuals as transplants, and by the beginning of summer my spring excitement at starting seeds and putting the first seedlings into the ground has given way to exhaustion at potting on yet another round of seedlings. Most of my attempts at direct sowing has been thwarted by slugs. My slug populations are pretty epic.
I love it all though. And I'm always learning new things, every day!
