08. WINTER + WARM SEASON GARDENS starts with Warm/Cool Season Crops
Modern Regenerative Farming relies upon constant plant growth (when moisture is available) verses bare fallow ground. This is the Foundation af all Types of Regenerative Agriculture – including Grazing and Gardening. Living Fallows are plants grown to improve soil structure and to provide plant matter for mulch + chickens green pick. Roots in the ground leave behind a residual of organic matter that other plants feed off.
Warm/Cool Season Crops can be grown for mulch + improve soil structure + smother grasses and weeds + fodder/green pick for chickens + human food. PHOTOS BELOW are from Winter Garden Section of Long Yard Garden.
These are the amongst some of the most common crops grown on the best dryland cropping country of Australia in predominantly 600 mm rainfall zones + they can survive during dry periods with minimal applied water if needed as they are super water efficient crops. DRYLAND + RAINFED meaning: Crops that grow on rainfall only – NO IRRIGATION.
Winter Gardens are managed for Food Crop Plantings from March until June. Crops are taken off usually by October – then the Garden is managed with “Living Fallows” from December until March.
Warm Season Garden Food Crops rely upon Organic Plant Matter applied as mulch OR grown in ground as a Living Fallows over Winter.
Sheep are typically used in March and October to remove all remaining residual weeds and intentional plants. Chickens are employed to control certain types of non-desired growth prior to planting in March or September onwards.
Winter Gardens grow more with less water + adverse insect populations decline. Bulk vegetables grown from the least amount of applied water also have one massive benefit of being grown in biochar humus rich soils. That is taste. Turnips and Daikon Radish is grated and added as the base vegetable for stews, omelets and curries. Cabbage has flavour and texture not found in conventional produce. Cooked Winter foods need bulk vegetables. The main reason most people don’t eat sufficient vegetables is taste. Fruit and vegetable grown without a balanced blend of carbon and nitrogen often tastes bitter. Long Yard Produce has flavour.
SWITCH SPECIES from COOL SEASON to WARM SEASON to SUIT your SEASONAL OBJECTIVES
PHOTO 1: Winter Garden after harvest in October with chickens being worked through the rows. All ground covers have/will be eaten and trampled with sheep and chickens. Then with a mattock – the ground is turned and planted with Millet and Sunflower. New row configurations have been put in place to better accommodate the width of the Portable Chicken Yards. Date of Photo: 2021
PHOTO 2: New Winter Garden Rows are spaced to allow ease of movements for chickens. Each panel is 2.2 metres wide. Constructed chicken panels are dog proof + will last 80 years with care and maintenance. Electric fencing in gardens is not recommended due to cost and waste of material. Date of Photo: October 2021
PHOTO 3: After the chickens are moved the top 100 mm of soil is worked with a mattock and then raked level. If the ground is too dry to work water is applied with an oscillating sprinkler. You can match rows to sprinkers width of cover. Date of Photo: Nov. 2021
PHOTO 4: After a month as Dry Fallow it is seeded and raked. Slabs and Planks are used for walking on to avoid compaction. Date of Photo: Dec. 2021
PHOTO 5: 6 weeks latter – Millet in foreground and Sunflower in background. This is a Living Fallow that assists to create a clean seed bed for Winter Crops that will be planted in April. Millet can be hand cut as “green pick” for chickens and it will regrow. Barley and Oats will perform the same over Winter. Date of Photo: Feb. 2022
PHOTO 6: Same Living fallow from ABOVE. Just to the Right of Chickens is a Double Row of Hugh Desmanthus. In the Background is a Double Row of Old Man Saltbush. This section of Long Yard Garden is managed for Summer Crops especially Small Vines + Zucchini + Tomato + Capsicum. Date of Photo: Feb. 2022
PHOTO 7: Close up of Photo 6. Logs on the ground like this provide habitat for burrowing frogs and small lizards. Log to Left is a Double Row of Desmanthus. Mature stalks are used as a Woody Mulch. To Right in Foreground is Millet with Standing and Cut Sunflower in Background.
PHOTO 8: Same Scene from 6+7 – Standing Sunflower planted at density of about 100 seeds per square metre for maximum smother effect. Sunflower to Left has just been slashed with a sharp bread knife.
PHOTO 9: Sunflower Stalks left to decompose in ground. Vetiver Grass is establishing to Left.
PHOTO 10: OPTION now is to use a mattock to scuffle the top 50mm of soil and stalks. OR just let it stand until ready to return chickens or work it deeper with a mattock closer to Winter 2022 Plantings.
PHOTO 12: This is a crop of Collard Greens and Cabbages from 2021 Winter. THE LOOP IS COMPLETE.