  I have had a lot of questions about the things we do month by month to help not only maintain but add to our system. While the best time to have ‘planted a tree’ was 20 years ago, the next best time to start is now. Each little thing we do can and will help increase our ability to build resilient, regenerative and abundant lives. Let’s Make It Real - Here is our February garden to-do list. We hope it helps you in your endeavors Free Downloadable file attached at the bottom TO DO LIST •Apply compost to your gardens •Make compost •Water plants deeply if dry •Sow seeds for beneficial insects in grow house for autumn planting •Check for potential pest issues •Prune flowering shrubs after they have finished •Sow tree and shrub seeds •Water in evening to reduce evaporation •Foliar spray plants with water/milk to help protect against sunburn •Foliar feed the orchard and potager •Take cuttings of perennials •Side dress vegetables with compost •Give fallen fruit to the chickens to help control fruit fly •Maintain fruit fly plan •Sow seeds Check over orchard for pests and possible disease WHAT TO PLANT Amaranth, Beans Climbing, Bush beans, Beetroot, Broccoli, Carrot, Cauliflower Chives, Cucumber, Endive, Fennel, Kohlrabi, Leeks, Lettuce, Mustard greens Onion, Oregano, Parsley, Radish, Silverbeet, Shallots, Sunflowers Sweet corn, Tomatoes 
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  I have had a lot of questions about the things we do month by month to help not only maintain but add to our system. While the best time to have ‘planted a tree’ was 20 years ago, the next best time to start is now. Each little thing we do can and will help increase our ability to build resilient, regenerative and abundant lives. Let’s Make It Real - Here is our January garden to-do list. We hope it helps you in your endeavors Free Downloadable file attached at the bottom To Do List •Apply compost to your gardens •Make compost •Water plants deeply if dry •Plant beneficial insect attractors •Check for potential pest issues •Plant container grown plants •Sow tree and shrub seeds •Water in evening to reduce evaporation •Foliar spray plants with water/milk to help protect against sunburn •Foliar feed the orchard and potager •Take cuttings of perennials •Side dress vegetables with compost •Give fallen fruit to the chickens to help control fruit fly •Harvest and dry excess herbs •Maintain fruit fly plan •Sow seeds •Check over orchard for pests and possible disease What To Plant Amaranth, Beans Climbing, Bush beans, Beetroot, Broccoli, Carrot, Cauliflower Celery, Chives, Cucumber, Eggplant, Kohlrabi, Mustard greens, Oregano Parsley, Pumpkin, Radish, Rosella, Silverbeet, Shallots, Sunflowers, Sweet corn Tomatoes, Zucchini
 Living in Qld one of the essential tasks I need to do with my fruit trees and bushes is to monitor and limit the impact Qld fruit fly can have in my system. Qld fruit fly is a problem of our own creation. While it is native to our region, we have introduced species that allow it to thrive if not maintained, and like with all things in our systems - we need to design with maintenance in mind. Typically Qld fruit fly is about 7mm long and is a reddish-brown with yellow markings. It is mostly active in the spring and summer periods, but I have noticed with the higher temperatures they have are engaged through to late autumn. Fruit mostly affected are the summer fruits such as peach, nectarine, apricots, citrus, tomatoes, eggplants and capsicum. The female fruit fly lays its eggs in the fruit and then when they hatch the maggots eat through the fruit until they reach approx6/7mm long when either the fruit falls to the ground or the maggot drops from the fruit. The maggot then creates a hard shell where it gestates for a few weeks. Then the pupae hatches and the cycle begins again. While hard to control, there are several measures we can use to help. Firstly good hygiene will help prevent fruit fly problems. Pick up any fruit left on the ground daily and on the tree after the harvest. You can burn the infest fruit, or I like to cut them open and then give them to my chickens of ducks to clean up. Do not put the fruit into your compost or you could potentially make the problem worse. Some like to net their trees with fruit fly netting, but I found this a costly option, and if one female Qld fruit fly gets under the mesh, they will lay approx 500 eggs, and the cycle begins again. Occasionally allow my ducks to wander through my system during the season to allow them to find any of the pupate that has found its way into the soil I do, however, like to use traps with my homemade mix to help keep the numbers to an acceptable level. 400ml of hot water One heap teaspoon of sugar or honey One heap teaspoon of vegemite some cut up the leftover citrus peel. (what we usually have in surplus) Combine the ingredients and mix until the sugar and vegemite are dissolved and then allow to cool. Place the mixture in a container and hang near the garden or orchard. I replace this approx every three weeks.  While not foolproof, the combination of keeping the ground and plants clean of falling or rotten fruit and the traps and allowing my ducks though the system generally means we have little infestations. And to be honest, they work even better if we get our neighbours and community on board too.
They are small steps, but they do need to be maintained consistently - Little things often rather than on large action.   I have had a lot of questions about the things we do month by month to help not only maintain but add to our system. While the best time to have ‘planted a tree’ was 20 years ago, the next best time to start is now. Each little thing we do can and will help increase our ability to build resilient, regenerative and abundant lives. Let’s Make It Real - Here is our December garden to-do list. We hope it helps you in your endeavors Downloadable file attached at the bottom To Do List •Apply compost to your gardens •Make compost •Water plants deeply if dry •Plant beneficial insect attractors •Heavily mulch shallow rooted trees •Pinch out unwanted side shoots •Prune flowering peaches •Trim the hedging plants •Remove suckers from rootstock •Foliar spray plants with water/milk to help protect against sunburn •Foliar feed the orchard and potager •Side dress vegetables with compost •Give fallen fruit to the chickens to help control fruit fly •Harvest and dry excess herbs •Check fruit fly plan for summer •Sow seeds •Check over orchard for pests and possible disease •Take cuttings from Figs What To Plant Amaranth, Basil, Beans Climbing, Beetroot, Capsicum, Carrot, Celery Chilli, Chives, Choko, Cucumber, Eggplant, Kohlrabi, Mustard greens Oregano, Parsley, Pumpkin, Radish, Rockmelon, Rosella, Silverbeet Shallots, Sunflowers, Sweet corn, Tomatoes, Zucchini
  I have had a lot of questions about the things we do month by month to help not only maintain but add to our system. While the best time to have ‘planted a tree’ was 20 years ago, the next best time to start is now. Each little thing we do can and will help increase our ability to build resilient, regenerative and abundant lives. Let’s Make It Real - Here is our November garden to-do list. We hope it helps you in your endeavors Downloadable file attached at the bottom To-do-list •Apply compost to your gardens •Make compost •Apply organic rich mulches to plants and trees •Water plants deeply if dry •Plant beneficial insect attractors •Sow tree and shrub seeds •Remove suckers from rootstock •Foliar spray plants with water/milk to help protect against sunburn •Take cuttings of perennials •Give large pots a flooding and mulch heavily •Foliar feed the orchard and potager •Side dress vegetables with compost •Give fallen fruit to the chickens to help control fruit fly •Check fruit fly plan for summer •Sow seeds •Check over orchard for pests and possible disease Seed Planting Amaranth, Artichokes, Asparagus, Basil, Bush beans, Beetroot, Capsicum , Carrot Celery, Chilli, Chinese cabbage, Cucumber, Chives, Dill, Eggplant, Kohlrabi, Lemon balm, Mustard greens, Oregano, Parsley, Pumpkin, Radish, Rhubarb Rosella, Sage, Shallots, Sunflowers, Sweet corn, Tomatoes
  With the recent expansion of the kitchen garden, it was time to start the new planning for the expanded patch. The expansion was always part of the plan, but we had given ourselves a 10-year implementation plan for the design. This allowed us to fine-tune as we go. It brings in new learnings and aligning the system to our own patterns which ultimately makes it more sustainable over the long term. It not only helps grow food and regenerates our landscape, but grows and adapts with us as we grow and change. While I have seen many people use a spreadsheet (and ultimately all of this will go on a spreadsheet), I always start with pen and paper. It allows me to get creative and move things around in a visual space rather than just lines on a screen. We began by working out how much we eat for the year in our household, using averages and then fine-tuning to our specific needs. (How much do I need to grow to feed my family over a year?). We then break it done to when in each of those plants can be seeded (Garden to-do lists). This makes it very easy to expand the planting regime as the number of beds available expand as well.  For ease of use I have found and been using for years has been the square foot gardening method, talked about by Mel Bartholomew in his book – Square foot Gardening. We do use many different methods for feeding microbes in the soil, from compost (Home Composting), Natural Farming (Natural Farming), No Dig Gardening (No Dig Gardens), Home made fertilisers (Home Made Fertilisers), Wicking Beds (Wicking Beds), Home made Insecticides (Home Made Natural Insecticides), Organic Health Management (Organic Health Management) and understanding the water needs of the plants (Water in the Garden), which helps inform us what we need to have a successful patch. Then we add the final layer of planning how much we can plant to maximise the space. We now have 24 raised garden beds and 14 wicking beds for annuals we have a total of 744 square feet to be able to grow in. That 744 square feet will use approx. 350 litres of water per day in the middle of summer. While this might sound like a lot (and it is) we need to remember that this is in an extreme case (January, February for us). We are not using this amount of water all year. It is much less in the colder months. It is also far less than what is used growing more commercially, and the food miles is just at our back door. These figures are also based on having zero carbon in the soil, and we have far more than that (again designed for the extreme) We have two 10,000 litre tanks dedicated to keeping the soil moist over the year, which even with current rainfall patterns is enough to keep it all flourishing. Using Mel Bartholomew's methodology, it is amazing how much someone can plant within a small space. I recently had an exercise with my current PDC (permaculture design course) participants where they had to plan out a garden bed with 12 squares. They were astounded in how much food you can really plan in that space. So back to the planning. Below is just a sample of what we are planting this month in both the wicking beds and the raised garden beds. In one is 2 Zucchini, 48 radishes, 4 eggplant and 18 shallots and the other is 135 bush beans, 27 mustard greens, 81 spinach and 96 carrots. And that is just 2 out of the 38 potential beds. Each bed is planned out for the year, and yes, there is a bit of planning at the start, but once done, I do not have to do it again. This is how we were able to grow 2.5 tonnes of food per year in our small space for the last few years. With expansion and time, I am confident it will increase exponentially. The plan is having enough to feed 20 people in the next few years. All for approx. 45 minutes a day (30 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes in the afternoon). I do not have staff or volunteers to help, and for the most part, that is from seed to harvest. There are definitely other methods to seriously increase the productivity in your garden (bio-intensive for example). Still, I have found for the time I have available, and the yields I am currently getting, the square foot gardening method is more than enough. Good enough for now, safe enough to try.    I have had a lot of questions about the things we do month by month to help not only maintain but add to our system. While the best time to have ‘planted a tree’ was 20 years ago, the next best time to start is now. Each little thing we do can and will help increase our ability to build resilient, regenerative and abundant lives. Let’s Make It Real - Here is our October garden to-do list. We hope it helps you in your endeavors Downloadable file attached at the bottom To-Do-List •Apply compost to your gardens •Make compost •Apply organic rich mulches to heavy feeders •Lightly shape lavender and any dead heading •Cut back the acacias (native fertility plants) •Take dragon fruit cuttings and strike them •Prune back the flowering shrubs •Plant out new flower seedlings and give a deep water •Lightly dig over and manure empty garden beds •Foliar feed the orchard and potager •Side dress vegetables with compost •Trim back leggy looking herbs. Dry these cuttings for latter use •Cut established asparagus •Sow seeds •Check over orchard for pests and possible disease •Mulch fruit trees as needed Seed Planting Amaranth, Artichokes, Asparagus, Basil, Climbing beans, Beetroot, Capsicum , Carrot Celery, Chilli, Chinese cabbage, Cucumber, Dill, Eggplant, Endive, Kohlrabi, Lemon balm, Parsley, Pumpkin, Radish, Rhubarb, Rosella, Rosemary, Pumpkin Shallots, Silverbeet, Sweet corn, Tomatoes, Watermelon
 One question that came up today during the hands-on wicking bed workshop was what am I using for in-between the beds. My answer seemed to surprise the participant. While it is common for most people to use either woodchip or some other dead material what I look for, and use between my beds is a living cover.
Most people use woodchip (for example) as it can suppress the growth of weeds and 'feed the soil' as it breaks down—honestly an excellent idea in concept. But for me, it is not enough. In permaculture, we are designing for many functions, connections and uses as we can. Some of the reasons why I have opted to use a living mulch rather than a dead one * The reason I use a living mulch is that it is self-replicating. A dead mulch is something that works for a while and do not get me wrong, it does the job well, but it is something we continuously need to input and replace as it breaks down. A living mulch, on the other hand, is not something I need to keep applying as it has its own life cycle and continues to replace itself * It also has a living interaction with the soil beneath - the swapping of sugars with fungi and bacteria in its constant cycle. A diverse of life feeding a diversity of life * A living mulch will also alter the temperature surrounding it by between 7 to 10 degrees, making cooler in summer and warmer in winter. * I actually want the weeds. In permaculture, for the most part, we talk about how there 'is no weeds', and then we apply thing in our landscapes to exclude these same indicator plants. The 'weeds' are one of the natures healing mechanisms, and it tells me what is going beneath my feet, while also providing organic material for my compost and teas. * It is also a feed for my animals as well as habitat for the beneficial insect population. * A living cover also provides a surface area that will help capture mist and fog events adding another 1mm of the equivalent rainfall event. I could have just added a dead mulch. Still, by doing so, we would have missed out on all the other possibilities given using biology - above and below. We are designing not just in space, but in time and trying to make it as close looped as we can, using as much as we can, as often as we can before it leaves our systems   Seven years ago, we put in the frame of what was to become our grow-house/nursery. It has been, like most projects here, a process of design and redesign as we learned more on our needs within this space. We have had many people from workshops, courses and open houses come through and learn from and mimic this system as it is useful. While initially was just to be a place to grow the seedings, has actually become the beating heart of our system.  First, we have the worm-farms. These are made from old bathtubs that have been upcycled. We have found that the old bathtubs to be the most effective form of worm farm as they have a more consistent heat over the year. We also can bulk fill them as we acquire the organic material. We can harvest approx. 2 tonnes of vermicompost a year from these 5 beds (based on volume, not weight)  These bath tube not only act as worm farms, but they also serve as the base for our seedling and propagation stations. Interestingly enough, the old plastic bread baskets fit precisely across the rim of the tubs. Even as the seeds/seedlings are getting the water, the excess is dripping down into the worm farm, keeping it moist. Extra moisture is moving through the system into buckets underneath which, is cycled back to water the seedlings or taken and watered down for the garden or compost making. We no longer use the bread trays as we were able to acquire second hand 98 spaced seedling trays. With the 5 tubs, each holding 5 trays of 98 allows us to propagate just under 2450 seedlings a month equaling 29, 400 a year for ourselves and surround projects and community. The leachate from the farms drips into 8 litre buckets underneath the worm farms giving us a total of 40 litres of concentrate, or when watered down 1:10 gives us 400 litres a week, or 20, 800 litres a year for us to cycle in the bioponics, in the gardens or compost (soluble to stable) The vermicompost is then sifted and either used as a side dressing for the kitchen garden or placed into a bin for later use in seed raising mix.    In the middle of the grow-house/nursery are the potting benches and the wet/dry bathtub beds. The potting benches are old galvanised fencing which has been repurposed into the bench. This allows us to work at height. Any excess soil or nutrient that slips through lands in the beds below helping to feed the system beneath. The beds beneath create in its own micro-climate so that we can grow plants that would not usually be available to use. One of the bathtubs is being used as a pond which mimics a wetland environment helping to stabilize the temperature and invites beneficial insects to live and breed in the nursery. These beneficial insects, in turn, help keep the parasitic ones in check helping us with our seedling and cutting propagation as we have less predation upon them.   The third section of the nursery is the bioponics units. While the bioponics enable us to produce a huge amount of food, we have found that it helps the success of the propagation of plant cuttings, jumping from 50% success rating to closer to 90%. Well worth the investment in resources saving us a small fortune in plants. We can fit 70 plants per bed, and with 3 beds being used for propagation of cuttings for 210 cuttings per month, equaling 2520 per year for the surrounding community and us  Every stage of our nursery has been made using waste or seconds from other people from the poly pipe, shade cloth, benches, bathtubs, IBC’s etc. etc.
We could have easily spent a small fortune acquiring what we need but keeping in mind the principle “small and slow solution, and, produce no waste” has enabled us to build a cheap, resilient space that has increased the output yield exponentially allowing us great flexibility and capacity.   I have had a lot of questions about the things we do month by month to help not only maintain but add to our system. While the best time to have ‘planted a tree’ was 20 years ago, the next best time to start is now. Each little thing we do can and will help increase our ability to build resilient, regenerative and abundant lives. Let’s Make It Real - here is our September garden to-do list. We hope it helps To Do List •Apply compost to your gardens •Make compost •Apply organic rich mulches to heavy feeders •Divide suckering evergreen shrubs •Plant out new flower seedlings and give a deep water •Lightly dig over and manure empty garden beds •Foliar feed the orchard and potager •Side dress vegetables with compost •Trim back leggy looking herbs. Dry these cuttings for latter use •Cut established asparagus •Sow seeds •Check over orchard for pests and possible disease •Plant out your citrus and tamarillo •Mulch fruit trees Seed Planting Amaranth, Artichokes, Asparagus, Basil, Bushbeans, Beetroot, Cabbage, Capsicum Carrot, Celery, Chilli, Chives, Cucumber, Dill, Eggplant, Kohlrabi, Leeks, Mint, Mustard greens, Onion, Peas, Potatoes, Pumpkin, Radish, Rocket, Shallots, Thyme Tomatoes, Corn, Zucchini
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February 2021
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