(( THIS IS CURRENTLY an INFORMATION PAGE ))
GO TO: Double Crop Food Gardens in NEW RESEARCH SECTION for NEW OFFER from GG
Everything happening here is from practical experience based on using plants and animals to modify the “biological function” of gardens to grow food crops. It is only with organised animal movements that provide for (1) a reduction in manual garden work (verses cultivation and machinery) and (2) an increase in available organic matter to increase production. SEE PHOTOS BELOW + LINKS ABOVE for INSIGHT to this PDF SERIES
“Grow Natural Nitrogen and Carbon to Make More Life in the Soil” LINK ABOVE explains the process of transforming anything that was once living into organic plant food. The more life you have in the soil – the more production you have above the soil – Just ADD Water. Here you will see how Old Man Saltbush can be used as mulch and fertiliser. ALSO: HEDGE MAKER for FOOD GARDENS Link Above is a preview of Garden Layout with Hedges to provide Filtered Sunlight for The New Hedge Garden (that features in Part 3 Hoofs + Chooks).
Scale of this operation is relevant to available stored water. These methods however may be applied on any practical commercial scale. Some sections here are/can be managed exclusively as “rainfed gardens”. Some special use plant species can persist and thrive on rainfall only and are integrated with the complete garden management system.
(1) Vetiver Grass + (2) Pitaya Cactus + (3) Leucaena are capable of persisting here on rainfall only once established. These are the three plant species used as hedges with the New Hedge Garden. They have strategic form and function to increase food crop production in conjunction with management. Vetiver + Leucaena are cut periodically as mulch.
HOOFS + CHOOKS (Part 1) is a Collection of 16 Photos describing “How to Start Food Crop Gardens with Chickens to Eliminate Grasses.” In this instance Butterfly Pea has been planted as a smother crop in October 2022. Part 2 then reveals ongoing management to prepare for Cool Season Plantings of Garden Food Crops.
HOOFS + CHOOKS (Part 2) follows from Part 1 is a Collection of 8 Photos describing “The introduction of Sheep into the Garden to prepare for planting Cool Season Food Crops” Butterfly Pea used as a Living Fallow over the warm season is defoliated by sheep as part of ongoing preparations for Cool Season Garden Food Crops
HOOFS + CHOOKS (Part 3) is Focused on The New Hedge Garden devoted to Summer Vine Crops eg: Pumpkins + Melons, that is being worked in Early Autumn with sheep and cattle to clean up residual groundcovers in preparation for April Daikon Radish interplanted with Clover. By October ’23 this Garden will then be ready for replanting with pumpkin + melons. Vine crops are ultra useful as they can be easily mulched (and so reduce weeding + tillage) plus they are high yielding.
HOOFS + CHOOKS (Part 4 + 5 +6) ………….are based on work in progress and will be completed during the remainder of 2023. These methods developed over the last 10 years are now simplified into a neat bundle of PDFs. All you need is the proper infrastructure to work animals within a managed garden. FOUNDATION GARDEN FOOD CROP METRICS commence in our Stories Section.
THIS PDF SERIES “HOOFS and CHOOKS” is OFFERED as a COMPLIMENTARY Subscription SERVICE to ALL New Customers that Elect to OPT IN as SUBSCRIBERS for 2023 Series.
GO TO: Long Yard Garden STORY which is a brief look at work in progress.
GO TO: HEDGE MAKER for FOOD GARDENS Plant Seed Kit for SALE
GO TO: Daikon Radish Seed (See also how it is used in this PDF Series)
GO TO: Metrics for Garden Sheep with Link to Chickens STORY
GO TO: Grow Natural Nitrogen and Carbon to Make More Life in the Soil STORY
GO TO: Long Yard Garden STORY which is a brief look at work in progress.
GO TO: METRICS for GARDEN CHICKENS Portable Chicken Yard Panels are the Cornerstone of Management.
PHOTOS below from previous research work = all 2023 content is based on current work in progress.
PHOTO 1: Giant Sorghum with calico bags to protect seed – Hedges of Summer Vigorous Sorghum are immune to chickens once established and are part of the process of restoring organic carbon to the sub-soil. Fast growing annual hedges can be planted in different sections of the garden as part of a crop rotation plan for shade and wind protection. DATE of PHOTO: March 2019
PHOTO 1a: Within Long Yard Garden – Green Spot in foreground is Barrel Medic with Turkey Nest Garden. The Medic will set seed and collapse by Oct. This part of an ongoing process to eliminate grasses. The Turkey Nest will be planted to a Vine Crop EG: Pumpkin. Date of Photo: July 2022
PHOTO 1b: Living Fallow of Arrow Leaf Clover in between Double Hedge of Old Man Saltbush. Location = Long Yard Garden.
PHOTO 3: Wheelie Bin with bottom cut off is used to make a pug of grass fed cow manure (or household no waste kitchen waste). Cow Dung can stay moist in here while weed/grass seeds are broken down.
PHOTO 4: Same Pug of Cow Dung from Photo 3 Above.
PHOTO 5: 100 litre wheelie bin is used to collect “no waste kitchen waste” + then transfered when about half full to Turkey Nest Garden in Photo 6.
In this climate the most efficient use of stored water is domestic vegetable production. Tree crops perish when water runs dry. With a vegetable garden you can simply shut it down if needed and have it productive within a few months when water is available again. Sections of the garden can be prepared and wait in fallow for preferred seasonal plantings. You might elect to focus on bulk Autumn Winter and Early Spring production verses the adversities of Summer.
PHOTO 6: No Waste Kitchen Waste tipped into Turkey Nest Garden.
PHOTO 7: Silver Beet surrounded by Burr Clover in Winter Garden. Sheep will eat all of this and then the Beet will regrow. Harvest Beet before putting sheep in garden. Date of Photo: July 2022
PHOTO 8: These hedges of Hugh Desmanthsu are defoliated by frost – then interplanted with Winter Crops. Crow Proof Chicken Laying Hut in foreground right – is enclosed behind Portable Dog Proof Chicken Panels. Woody Mulch Maker Seed Kits DATE of PHOTO: March 2019.
PHOTO 9: One of 8 Fruit Trees in Long Yard. This is Pomegranate grown from seed 6 months old. Subscription service includes “how to grow cuttings and fruit trees from seed”
PHOTO 10: Single Hedge of Giant Sorghum aligned North South for both Morning and Afternoon Shade. Tall plants have deep roots and so accelerate the restoration of deep sub-soil humus. DATE of PHOTO: March 2019.
