This Sustainable House

Archive for the ‘Gardens’ Category

Recently I have been reading a number of books around transgenic foods (also known as genetically modified foods), and the dangers/benefits they produce. Whilst this topic is highly decisive, it did highlight for me another area of concern… the twindling number of species grown in our agricultural systems.

For example, over the 20th century, the US Department of Agriculture’s seed storage bank reduced the varieties of fruits and vegetables held. For example 544 varieties of cabbage became just 28; 287 varieties of carrot was reduced to 21; and most staggeringly of all, 2,683 varieties of pear was reduced to approx 300.

Of course the practical upshot of these losses is the fact that the majority of our food crops, both in agriculture & the home garden, are genetically narrow.

What is the risk of sameness??

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This weekend we were blessed with the most incredible weather and it seemed a shame to waste it. It’ll be very cold all too soon!

So this weekend was spent pottering, doing a few homey things such as planting seeds, chopping wood and building strawberry towers. In fact, the strawberry towers are what this post is all about…

So what is a strawberry tower? Well in this case it is a length of PVC drain pipe (100mm diameter x 1400mn length) with a series of small holes drilled in the side (24 in all). The bottom of the tower is capped, the cap having drain holes drilled in it, and the top is hung by chain from the verandah fascia.

The strawberry crowns are planted in the holes, into enriched potting mix, and are watered by a central ‘weep’ line down the centre. The top section, where the chain joins the pipe, is then filled with clean straw to minimise evaporative losses.

The concept is that the strawberries grow against the clean PVC outer, allowing one to just pick and eat. They are also at an easy height for picking without bending, are kept free of the ground and therefore snails and slugs, and take up very little floor space (the strawberries are growing in the vertical space like a vine). In fact there is still room beneath for a pot of herbs, say mint, which cab collect the drainage water from the tower.

This concept of ‘stacking’ is very important in all permaculture designs as it allows us to significantly increase the yield from all available space. For example, if I planted the strawberries in the garden (using the same area of about 30cm diameter) then I’d have room for 5 plants yielding about 1.75Kg of strawberries (~7 punnets). However by planting the strawberries in the vertical plane I have managed to squeeze in 24 plants which should yield about 8.4kg of strawberries (~33 punnets) AND a herb crop such as mint from the pot underneath. All up this is an increase of yield of over 400% which is just phenomenal.

A fact sheet detailing the design/construction of these pots will be available on the Green Phoenix Permaculture website in the next few weeks, so if you are interested in creating some strawberry towers then head over to there.

UPDATE

Today I noticed a ‘fault’ with the irrigation system. Essentially the piece of ‘weep hose’ which watered the towers has failed leaving the plants dry, and some dying. Unfortunately I think I’ll lose about 6 crowns due to the failure, but they can be replaced.

I had honestly thought that this might be a problem, the chance of the tubing clogging with small particles was always pretty high. As a result the ‘back up plan’ was to place a dripper in the top of the tower, and let gravity do the work. So that’s exactly what I have done… I’ll let you know how it gets on.

Gardening is, naturally, a seasonal activity in which the gardener must fit in with the natural rythyms of life. This isn’t too difficult, for an observant individual, when you have lived in an area for a while but can be a little more difficult when you are new to an area. And this the situation at TSH.

Previously TSH was located on the NSW Central Coast quite near the ocean. As a result the climate was always quite warm, even through the winter months. This warmth was a blessing allowing the growth of many plants that one couldn’t typically grow in winter… For example, tomatoes.

However the Canberra region has a completely different climate with short summers and long bitter winters. Temperatures dropping into the ‘minuses’ are common and most plants seem to enter a state of dormancy during this time. All except the incredibly hardy ones anyhoo…

So when moving into a new area like this, a different gardening strategy is required. And a little ‘inside information’ will go a long way to formulating that strategy. In this case I have turned to the Canberra Organic Gardeners Society (COGS) for information. (See the links page)

On their website they have a handy planting guide broken into the four seasons, as well as other guides around hardy winter herbs, growing notes, etc.

However in your area there is bound to be some like minded organisations/people. Do a google search, or ask around, and kickstart your gardening experience.

Well the weather has been getting cooler and already the greenhouse is begining to show some promise. A few weeks ago I spent an afternoon taking root cuttings of some Bocking 14 Comfrey. Bocking 14 is a special cultivar of comfrey, developed at the Henry Doubleday Institute, which doesn’t produce viable seed. It was chosen for TSH to reduce the weed risk associated with this plant.

Anyhow, the root cuttings were planted into some super tree tubes, and then placed into the greenhouse under the automatic misters. Today, the signs of life are more than evident…

Check out the video below for more information.

The Canberra region has quite a harsh climate for gardeners with very hot dry summers, and bitterly cold winters. As a result our growing season is quite short requiring strategies, such as greenhouse growing of early seedlings, to artificially increase the growing season.

Last night the realities of cool climate gardening became apparent as the first frost descended over the property. Admittadley it was still quite a light frost but it does symbolically, and practically, demonstrate that the joy of summer is over. The still of winter has begun…

One of the major differences between standard gardening and permaculture is that the latter put’s great emphasis on design and planning. It can seem that ‘permies’ only ever talk about design however it is often easier to correct a deficiency in garden design prior to it’s implementation. This is especially true if you site something in the wrong location… in that case moving it is a drag!

The video below outlines the new Mandala Gardens being set-up at TSH, and the reason they are laid out the way they are. The system being adopted was originally designed by Linda Woodrow (The Permaculture Home Garden) so credit where credit is due.

The reality for a lot of people living in cities is that they don’t have the space, or time, to grow their own food. Of course there are a number of initiatives that help to address this, such as the allotment movement. But how do you grow your own food at home, or how do you make the most of allotment resources if you are frail, infirm or have other ‘issues’. The solution is easy… Sprouted Seeds

The Benefits of Sprouting

Sprouting seed is one of the easiest, and most productive form of gardening available. It is something that anyone can do and, in fact, it is a wonderful activity for children.

Sprouts are an alkalizing, living food which continue to grow until such time as they are eaten. They contain a greater concentration of vitamins, minerals, proteins and enzymes than almost any other food, and have been used for centuries to invigorate the body’s immune system, work against toxins and even counter cell mutation. Think of them as a super food you can grow right on your bench top and you wouldn’t go far wrong… Read the rest of this entry »