Farm1 wrote:
Oh blast!

I've found the other pages now with the horse poop bits! In self defence I
plead that I'm practicing for when those senior's moments become a daily
occurance.

OK stream of thought stuff now!

One thing we've decided we need to do here Pete is to plant more big trees
to get shade. The sodding sun is a major problem here and we've noticed
that the only green bits in summer are under the exotic trees or the shade
cloth or on the south side of something like a climber or a fence or the
house etc. I know that idea won't work in a veg patch but a modification on
that theme might work. Can you grow wattles for the green slash to use as a
mulch/cover on top of the soil? The reason why I ask is because you seem to
be getting some really goos soil building going but come summer all those
poor goobies working for you in doing all the work in the soil will be baked
to a cinder.

On another strand of thought - do you have any Prickly Pear plants for the
fruit? Or is that plant a problem there? Have you or anyone else tried the
fruit? I'm thinking of giving it a go here when I can sneak a plant in past
Himself.

Fran


So many questions ..... you're like a whirling dervish when ya get started.

OK The stage the rows are at now is just having gone through a summer
and still in dry conditions and mild 20 ish degree days ... I think
today will be 24 with the chance of a shower yippee, of course I've been
hand watering to break down the horse manure, the beds where the manure
has broken down properly (although it's still happening) get watered
only on a weekly basis, by one of those weeper type hoses left on for a
couple of hours or so thats all, the rows that are "fresh" are still
watered daily and quite thoroughly at times depending on the weather and
if I know I'm not going to get back to them till maybe later the
following "maybe" hot day... basically they as much water as they need
to keep em in place against any strong winds and to allow the manure to
break done or compost ... so it depends... could be different each day.

Regarding the trees/shade and wind protection ...you're rushing me,:-)
the last updates on the site gives a little insight into what will
follow the veggies and I found late yesterday a Myoporum insulare
(boobialla) that the birds have planted for me in one of the beds ( at
least it looks like one ..its tiny yet) which couldnt have been planted
in a better spot if I'd done it myself. because of the increased bird
activity I'm getting a lot of seed left around the place but this is the
first native and the first perennial plant thats popped up ...

I'll get a pic of it today and try to explain what will go where as the
whole thing progresses, I have been thinking of a shade house a bit
lower down and alongside some of the salt bush ... but thats for later,
you might be able to see in one of the pics ..the first one on page 2
I think ... there is a line of salt bush nearer the camera ... about a
dozen 6 inch high plants.... they are planted into the orrible soil and
are struggling, one has died they were originally going to be a buffer
against the strong hot northerlies.... if we get some rain most of em
will get going again and we plan to buy another tray (160 plants) this
year for planting around some new fencing I'm doing in other parts.

The camera angle on pic 1 page 2 is from the NNW so the small line of
salt bush is to the north of the rows and the house is to the south of
that pic ...or to the left just out of frame about 20 -30 metres.

The top corner of that pic ..where the 3 tank circles are will be the
nearest point to the house and alongside the path/driveway which is used
daily to get to the horse yards, so that will have kitchen herbs and
stuff that can be picked fairly easily without trudging through the mud.
Along that fence line and further to the left there will be an archway
also accessible from the "front yard", which will lead to a path at the
end of those rows and the shadehouse will be on the other side of that
path. ... I'll try to draw a plan but my scanner isn't working so it'll
have to be done with one of the drawing progs ...paint or sumsuch, but
it'll give ya some idea of what I eventually want to achieve ... making
me divulge my secret plans early so ya can larf at me when it doesnt
work eh? ....

What were the other questions? ... oh yeah wattles,... maybe .. I only
have one a golden wattle and its not doing too well in much better soil
than I have in this patch, I will need some leguminous plants in there
but where they will go will have to be planned ... in fact any large
tree in the area of those beds will restrict the views we have now of
the Adelaide hills and the horses both of which M loves... so very
careful planning will be in order there if I'm to continue enjoying full
health.

Chooks will eventually be incorporated into the area too, and also a
meat rabbit breeding house, but the rabbits are a long way down the
track, the chooks will be introduced much earlier in the piece.

ok now ya spoiled me secret plan
I wanted ya to keep saying gosh and golly and wow and stuff.... now
yas'll all say "ha that bit didn't work did it?" .......

I wont be planting any gums thats a definite, I need every bit of rain
and although I know gums would suck up plenty of that saline water table
I can't afford for em to steal me precious rainwater.... but there will
definitely be trees both native and exotic fruiting.

I actually have prickly pear plant just to the north of this patch and
on a rise of about half a metre ... I've never had fruit off of it and
it just sits there not dying but not growing either, I've eaten the
fruit off other plants and it's not too bad...sort of sweet but not..
almost like a strawberry but yet not ... worth trying though I reckon
they would make some sort of jam or even a savoury sauce like a
cranberry sauce or used as a poultry glaze.... dunno but worth messing with.

I've tasted most of everything we've got growing around the place and
even tried smoking some of it :-) ...dont get me started ... the pigface
plants have a fruit on em which you could eat if ya really wanted
...slightly salty and not unpleasant ... but not in the same league as a
bar of choccy. and the ruby saltbush have a tiny berry that's not bad ..
trouble is you'd need a shovel full for a real snack.

Weve stolen Quandongs from next door but they have nearly always got a
bug inside em by the time we get em, so apart from a quick bite and spit
out we've not had any joy wiv em, I've tasted Quandong jam and thats
really nice.

ok have I answered everything? .... prolly not but I gotta go try to get
a pic of this little Myoporum ...

Pete