A few years ago I was on a days course and I got talking to a guy about self sufficiency and my property, "5 acres!" he said "you can easily be self sufficient on that." I politely walked away.
I know it can be done, but anyone who thinks its easy has never grown more than a lettuce from a B&Q plug plant.
As many of you know it's not just growing the food, it's having the infrastructure in place to do it. The fertility in the soil needs to be built up over years, you need to have a supply of seeds that you know will grow well in your area, produce your own fertiliser and you need to be able to harvest, process and store all your produce, let alone all the other bits of equipment you need to store to do all these things.
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| The paths I added last year to divide the garden into beds |
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| My "new" greenhouse added last year. |
I'm slowly getting more and more set up each year. Last year I felt like I got the garden into a more manageable position by laying lots of paths and erecting my new greenhouse, I put up fences all around the smallholding and generally kept on top of things.
This year it's already making a big difference as I'm using the greenhouse loads and I've got veg beds ready to plant when the time comes instead of messing around trying to lay paths first and remove lots of weeds left from the previous year.
We did start from scratch here so it's going to take a while to get into a position where it doesn't feel like I'm chasing my tail. We only had a couple of old, useless tin sheds when we moved here and no veg garden or perennial plants or fruit trees, so although it gave us the advantage of having a blank canvas, it also meant that we had little to work with and anything we wanted we had to buy, build or erect.
So each year I try to knock something off my list (and in turn my workload) and add something back on. This year's big garden infrastructure projects are going to be a garden/food storage shed, that's going to be frost free and rodent proof, and another nursery garden area to grow on my grafted fruit trees.
So my question is how long did it take you to get everything set up and running smoothly in your garden? And what big infrastructure projects have you got lined up for it this year?
we are n the same position as you Kev, we arrived to a blank canvas its hard work and the list of jobs is growing daily, I think its going to be three years before we are reaping the benefits, I seem to be racing against the seasons to get jobs done, fencing seems never ending, permanent plantings seem to be never ending, and like you storage areas were in short supply but we are winning on that score :-)
ReplyDeleteAlthough it's not been easy we've had a good harvest each year of being here and improved each time, this year feels so much better, I've got areas ready to plant already and it's only early march!
DeleteKev....
ReplyDeleteYou sound very much like us....
it has taken five years to set up the potager...
six beds of 14 by 3 metres...
one is permanant, the other five rotate....
doesn't half surprise the neighbours when that happens...
Seriously tho', we have one bed that is 'fallow'....
that becomes a great big covered compost heap over winter and into the spring.....
followed by the pumpkins, courgettes and other cucurbits when the warm weather of May arrives...
planted through pre-cut holes in the cover....
the other four in the rotation are sub-divided into eight, one by three metre beds with paths in between.
The spuds go into the bed that was the compost heap...
two rows of nine or ten per bed...
depending on the size of the expected spud...
the other beds are planted according to the plan "She who must be Obeyed" carries in her head... I don't do rotation!!
I am currently preparing ground for the Spring-planted onions and shallots...
and Stoneheart cabbages with lettuce either side...
six cabbage will take over a three by one bed.
We no longer grow cabbage or leeks from seed, a complete waste of time here...
we can get half-a-dozen cabbage at 50centimes each...
or 50 pencil diameter St.Victor leeks for 2€50...
all raised to a size that is easy to grow on...
far less faff factor!
We do grow our own varieties of things like Tender-stem Brocoli, Black Tuscan and Red Russian kales, etc...
because you can't get them...
well you can get individual plants of Black Tuscan...
at SIX Euros a plant...
it is used decoratively in France!!! Wot??!
This year is the year of the polytunnel(s)...
a real one and a mini one... we've just bought the latter which is six square metres...
the other will be a summer installation job, for use from Autumn onwards...
the little one will be used as an isolation tent...
Pauline [SWMBO] is a seed guardian for the HDRA for Sheepnose peppers...
they have to be kept away from the other chillis, etc. to avoid cross-fertilization...
and we've just put in two more fruit trees in the verger...
Curé, a pear, and Pate de Loup, an apple.
Also in this year is an apricot...
a Polish variety called...
Polonaise...
wow, that is original naming!!
The four bin, windrow compost system is in action...
so I can now concentrate on our meadow!
If you want to take a look, go via the profile...
that will allow you to visit our blogs...
some very occasional...
others more frequent.
De la Bonne Boufe is the cooking, gardening one...
but to look at the "estate"...
er, actually, remove the "e" from that, to be more accurate...
look at the Art-en-Saule site... there is an aerial view on there.
PS: SWMBO has just filled our fridge with small bags of compost containg seeds...
it worked for the Golden Hornet... so, who knows?
These things are beyond me... I do trees!
Please excuse the "post-within-a-post"....
but you did ask!!
Thanks for the mega comment! I'll have to check out your blog, I've been so busy lately I've not been great at reading everyone elses but yours sounds right up my street!
DeleteI keep toying with having fallow plots but anything bare here just grows weeds so I need to sow a green manure really, but not sure which to leave on it for a year. As for your windrow composting, I need to learn so much more about composting, I'm thinking to taking a course to improve my knowledge. It's one of my weak links at the moment as I'm still buying some every year.
Our fallow plot is the huge compost heap/pumpkin bed...
Deleteit is covered by three 4x5 tarps joined together...
the only weeds that can escape are in the holes where the cucurbits grow.
So fallow can be done...
And we still buy compost... the four cube windrow stuff goes directly on the beds...
they need the stuff!
Also, the logistics of making your own requires an incredible amount of assorted seives...
depending on what one needs...
but I wouldn't want to lose our Rotaseive...
it is absolutely brilliant...
and our cement mixer is used for mixing and breaking up soils... before going through the seiving cycle...
whilst it does that, I can be doing summat else.
I must do a post about that... when I have time!!
Kev - In 2008 when we purchased the empty land, we started long distance i.e. when we could get to the smallholding we worked - roughly ever 6 - 12 weeks. Automatic irrigation helped keep the plants alive whilst we weren't there.
ReplyDeleteWe've been here almost 3 years (end June) and we're still tweaking, fiddling, improving and planting. Guess the truth is that gardening never stops - whether it's the design, planting or tweaking. But - that where the fun is, isn't it?! :).
It never stops does it! Once I get one job done I just add another to the list but like you said it keeps things interesting!
DeleteOur Garden is tiny by comparison as you will see next week. No livestock except wild insects which nest with us every year. Took a few years and even now, I still tinker!
ReplyDeleteI've not concentrated on livestock at all other than chickens, I thought I would when I got this place but the garden always takes my interest first!
DeleteI've not concentrated on livestock at all other than chickens, I thought I would when I got this place but the garden always takes my interest first!
DeleteI'm so envious of your veg garden, it looks perfect with the paths in between. No big plans this end, I don't have room for very much here, so I'm reduced to two raised beds, the borders of the lawn and a few home-made self-watering bucket/containers. I did have an allotment ages ago but had to give that up due to lack of water up there and the time to do it (it's like a desert round here in the summer). So I have these few things in pots and boxes at home where I can keep an eye on them. But there's only the two of us so I don't need to grow a massive amount, if I can just keep us in salads, tomatoes, spuds, carrots and runner beans I shall be happy. I did have a sort of veg garden on our flat bathroom roof a few years ago, raised beds and boxes but that dried out in summer and it was a faff to lug watering cans up there several times a day.
ReplyDeleteI water nothing tin the garden once it's established unless it's really dry. My garden doesn't look like that all the time, far more weeds normally I can tell you! I like the idea of your raised garden on the roof, maybe you could have bees up there instead if plants didn't work?
DeleteYes, I did seriously consider bees at one time and even booked myself on a course and had an expert in to comment the spot prior to getting them. However, now that we've 'sort of' retired we tend to go away at short notice for unspecified amounts of time, so bees are out now. You have to check on them at least once a week and I couldn't guarantee that. Besides, the're hellishly expensive to set up and keep running!
DeleteI have also put in lots of concrete paving paths Kev so that you can get about with a wheelbarrow even when the ground is wet. The poly-tunnel is my gardening pal at the moment. We have somewhere to potter about and raise all our seedlings even on wet and windy days.
ReplyDeleteLast year I put thirty percent of the plot down to grass. I think it's easier to have a medium sized veg plot that you can manage and aren't for ever chasing the weeds. We have been here fourteen years and I am starting to think of putting the rest of the plot down to grass and making a new plot because I think ours is getting a bit tired. Might just dig the lawn up in Autumn and put the other side to grass or plant some other kind of green manure. Mustard is great for getting rid of wireworm in old grassland but it's a brassica and you can't plant cabbages there the following year. Your plot looks great Kev!
My mums garden soil has only improved over the last thirty years of her using it, now it's a lovely soil compared to the clay she started with but she adds loads of muck! I think having something you can keep on top of is key to having a good garden, but then I don;t do that, I'm always behind and I have loads of weeds so I'm not one to talk!
Delete"The fertility in the soil needs to be built up over years,"
ReplyDeleteI'm starting with sand, sand so pure you can use it in concrete mix!
Good luck with that! The more muck the better, could you use a composting loo and use your night soil from that or is it dangerous with the heat and flies over there?
DeleteIt's never finished...always evolving as we learn more.
ReplyDeleteJane
I said to someone the other day how I thought I was an alright gardener three years ago, now when I look back I realise how much I've learnt over those three years and how much I'll learn over the next three!
DeleteI don't think you ever finish, there are always tweaks to be made to get things running easier. We will never be truly self-sufficient but we can get as many steps as we can near to being so.
ReplyDeleteWe only moved here last year so we are still working on the infrastructure But we are using the lessons we learnt from our last two places .... it was nice to be able to practice on rented land :-)
Your really putting in great infrastructure at your place and it will stand you in good stead for many years to come. I'm glad I had a normal sized garden and allotment before I got this place, I learnt so much and I can only just manage now!
DeleteWe literally started on land that had only one lonely tree on it besides the woods area. We had to prioritize what we needed to do first and just work from there. Using conventional organic methods, I always felt like I was still "chasing my tail". That is why we are now practicing permaculture.
ReplyDeletePermaculture really interests me and I've planted a few areas to have perennial crops in but I can't see that method feeding my family very soon as it takes so long to establish some of the plants. I'd like to learn more about the subject though and I think there is so much I can learn from it (I'm forever watching videos about it on youtube). Thanks for your comment.
DeleteIt's never finished I think. You get projects finished but then as you do that adds more to the regular maintenance schedule and takes away from the new project times. I would guess it continues like that until you reach a maximum equilibrium. As things collapse slowly though the maintenance becomes a bit harder/more expensive from time to time too.
ReplyDeleteI think your fruit trees will have the best time to yield pay off over the long term but having as much infrastructure in place as possible sure helps for all of it too.
Yeah, each job brings new maintenance which is a tie again like you said.
DeleteFruit trees have a great long term pay off but they also take time and maintenance. I guess if we didn't like work we wouldn't choose this type of life!
I tried some test beds last year and they got washed away. This year I am going to try to furrow part of my meadow and grow some corn and beans. I am light years behind everyone else in gardening, but they all seem to think it's fun and to me it's drudge work. But I know I have to improve my position in that regard.
ReplyDeleteThere's so many different methods out there that there's bound to be one that suits you. Put some pictures of where your planning to plant and I'm sure we'll all come up with ideas and advice.
DeleteTwo years ago we decided to bore hole 10 metres deep to access free garden water source as the existing well water wasn't enough. That's that! All the rest we make do. I have no greenhouse but can set a low pollytunnel using curved iron-bar into ground and cover with plastic, if needed. We don't have as big plot like you do, but I can tell you that for the past years, we eat and grow our own fruits and veggies all year, except for the occasional store bought bananas and oranges. so, the way you're going, you can even feed your county soon:) Keep us all inspired with what you're doing Kev!
ReplyDeleteI think when you make do like that you really make the garden pay as your not spending money on anything else. I know my plot will produce more than we need on a good year, but I'm trying to plan for the bad years and make sure we still have enough then.
DeleteExcellent post, Kev, and great comments. it just isn't as easy as it seems. We've found it's taken time to learn the land, soil, weather, climate, and local plant growth. Our "wire grass" has been a killer in terms of long term establishment. It won't die, grows like lightning, and chokes out everything in its path. So we're "starting over" this year in hopes of trying to stay a couple steps ahead of it.
ReplyDeleteGetting the hedgerow started is a huge accomplishment for us, and we've finally got a spot figured out for a greenhouse, although that's still several years down the road due to priorities of projects. With livestock, they always have to be top priority, while I make do in other areas. Oh, for more time!
Cheers Leigh. My worst one is creeping buttercup and it gets everywhere in the garden and spreads without you realising it. I managed to get on top of it last year and it's already easier this year. I think the trick will be to not let it get it's foothold back if I can help it. The weeds were getting to unmanageable proportions at one point though so it's good to have a garden that looks much better and grows more food.
DeleteLivestock have never been my priority, which is weird as I always assumed they would be when I managed to buy land. The garden and trees seemed more important to me and I wanted to get things established. Hopefully we'll get some more animals this year but I'm still concentrating on the garden.
I would raise all of those beds - you will never regret it.....
ReplyDelete