Tatranskas Gardening journey

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Photo of my chicken run.
Cost me a fortune to roof but at least the chucks are dry.

smacl

Liberty Low Beggar wrote: »

He also offered to rent my field next year and take hay off it. He'll fertilise and lime it before cutting an baling.
He's a contractor so has all the equipment. The choice now is to take the cash or a few lambs for the freezer. (Will need a third freezer at this rate)

My father had a place in Mayo some years back where we did this, worked out really well for all concerned. My choice would be the lamb, freezes well and nothing nicer than having some local meat to put on the table.

beertons

I'll take a lamb off you if you've no room.

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beertons wrote: »

I'll take a lamb off you if you've no room.

Been asking in the sheep forum (yes there is one on boards) . They reckon it's only about 20€ saving on rearing my own against buying one butchered.
Got a lamb last month for €150.

Might just stick with buying it in the bag
Renting out the field next year so we've a ways to go on getting a few lambs for the freezer.

macraignil

Liberty Low Beggar wrote: »

Plans for the coming year are to make raised beds over the winter and move to permaculture. I think I can keep the existing garden in full and make it manageable.

Just saw this video during the week about the permaculture idea and thought it was fairly informative. I think they are based in New Zealand so probably a similar climate to Ireland.

Lumen

macraignil wrote: »

Just saw this video during the week about the permaculture idea and thought it was fairly informative. I think they are based in New Zealand so probably a similar climate to Ireland.

That's an amazing video. I'm doing it all wrong, way too little density.

I love the bit on trampling.

Maybe we should start a thread on Irish permaculture and forest gardening?

macraignil

Lumen wrote: »

That's an amazing video. I'm doing it all wrong, way too little density.

I love the bit on trampling.

Maybe we should start a thread on Irish permaculture and forest gardening?

Sounds like a good idea to me. It's amazing how much that couple in the video are able to fit in their own garden area and I would be no where near the density they have growing. They are a good few more years down the line with this than I am so the good thing about the video I think is just to see how the idea can develop over a longer period of time. Just put some aronia cuttings in the ground last week (experimenting to see if this works)and also spread out some amelanchier suckers I took off an older tree so working towards more density myself as well.

Lumen

macraignil wrote: »

Just put some aronia cuttings in the ground last week (experimenting to see if this works)

My experience so far with aronia is that it won't fruit without all day sun.

I have 18 planted along one boundary and the ones that are partially shaded are growing fine but not fruiting.

Maybe that'll change as they mature.

Riverton NZ (where that video is from) is 46 degrees south, we're at 53 north. I'm not sure what difference that makes, here is solar radiation at summer solstice in both places.

Looks like we have a longer day in midsummer but they have higher peak radiation, which is fairly obvious.

Calculator:
https://www.cableizer.com/tools/solar_radiation/

Dublin


Riverton

macraignil

Lumen wrote: »

My experience so far with aronia is that it won't fruit without all day sun.

I have 18 planted along one boundary and the ones that are partially shaded are growing fine but not fruiting.

Maybe that'll change as they mature.

Riverton NZ (where that video is from) is 46 degrees south, we're at 53 north. I'm not sure what difference that makes, here is solar radiation at summer solstice in both places.

Only have the one aronia myself. Here is a short clip of it flowering last year and it has fruited now most years since I planted it about five years back. It is the Aronia melanocarpa variety so maybe it is a different version than you have. I also got it when fairly mature so that could be the reason for it fruiting well. It is shaded for the first half of the day where I have it planted and seems to be doing fine. The birds always seem to get to the berries before I eat that many and that's the reason I have it planted more than getting food for myself. I really like the bright red leaf colour that starts at the end of the summer and goes on through autumn. The experiment I mentioned is just to see if it will grow from hardwood cuttings which I have not tried before. I do this regularly with gooseberry, blackcurrant and redcurrant and also bought a white currant this year that has provided a couple of cuttings when I was tidying it up recently so hopefully these grow into new plants as easily as the other currants.


Thanks for letting me know where the New Zealand video was made. I think as well as solar radiation the influence of warm offshore water we get from the gulf stream would be important. There is bound to be some variation between what happens here in Ireland and other countries so I'm going to start a thread on the topic of permaculture/forest gardening as you suggested to see if it is something people in this forum want to contribute to.

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macraignil wrote: »

Sounds like a good idea to me. It's amazing how much that couple in the video are able to fit in their own garden area and I would be no where near the density they have growing. They are a good few more years down the line with this than I am so the good thing about the video I think is just to see how the idea can develop over a longer period of time. Just put some aronia cuttings in the ground last week (experimenting to see if this works)and also spread out some amelanchier suckers I took off an older tree so working towards more density myself as well.

Do you know where aronia can be bought at s reasonable price?

A permaculture thread would be a great idea.
Check out Liz zorab of byther farm on utube.

macraignil

Liberty Low Beggar wrote: »

Do you know where aronia can be bought at s reasonable price?

A permaculture thread would be a great idea.
Check out Liz zorab of byther farm on utube.

I got the one I have from this company in West Cork. Long drive from where I am in North Cork to get there but got a bunch of plants at the same time so was definitely worth the trip. They also do mail order but not sure on how much that costs. Will check out that youtube name. Thanks for the recommendation.

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macraignil wrote: »

I got the one I have from this company in West Cork. Long drive from where I am in North Cork to get there but got a bunch of plants at the same time so was definitely worth the trip. They also do mail order but not sure on how much that costs. Will check out that youtube name. Thanks for the recommendation.

Future forests. I've used them before.
Might try my local GC. I priced them against online and they are coming in cheaper than online for a lot of bareroot.

macraignil

Liberty Low Beggar wrote: »

Future forests. I've used them before.
Might try my local GC. I priced them against online and they are coming in cheaper than online for a lot of bareroot.

I think I saw aronia for sale in the local Glanbia Co-Op garden centre near here as well but they were smaller than the one from future forests I got. Not sure if they are still in stock now but go for getting them locally if you can. If they are smaller they probably will take longer to provide fruit. Not a fan of making jam myself and I think the birds like the taste of the fresh berries more than I do.

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I picked up some bareroot aronia, gooseberry and black/red currants on Christmas eve
Also got guilder rose, Euronymous and mountain ask for the hedgerow.

Was away for 4 weeks and the storm took 10 perspex sheets of my chicken run which I replaced last week. It's really not working using a metal frame.
I'm planning on building a new coop and wooden frame run over the next few months a wooden frame greenhouse us also on the agenda.
Had a sick chicken and despatched it today.

Picking up some pallets tomorrow to start building raised beds for the spring.

Edit:just ordered elder flowers, blackthorn and Holly.

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A new year and lots planned. I bought my seeds last night from seed parade in the UK. They do flash sales so watch out for them.
Postage is £3.49 to ROI so not bad. Spent €65

I've also got some seeds I bought in India just for the fun of it to see if they'll grow.

All the hedgerow is planted and garlic is starting to come up. Need to put a net over it to keep the birds off.

Had to despatch a chicken last week as it was sick. I didn't feel a thing .. chicken hopefully didn't either.;)

macraignil

Liberty Low Beggar wrote: »

I picked up some bareroot aronia, gooseberry and black/red currants on Christmas eve
Also got guilder rose, Euronymous and mountain ask for the hedgerow.

Was away for 4 weeks and the storm took 10 perspex sheets of my chicken run which I replaced last week. It's really not working using a metal frame.
I'm planning on building a new coop and wooden frame run over the next few months a wooden frame greenhouse us also on the agenda.
Had a sick chicken and despatched it today.

Picking up some pallets tomorrow to start building raised beds for the spring.

Edit:just ordered elder flowers, blackthorn and Holly.

Blackthorn are very nice hardy trees and I particularly like them when they produce their flowers early in the year. The thorns however are dangerous so be careful around them when they mature. I was sloppy leaving some pruning branches on the ground and when I later stepped on them one of the thorns went straight through the sole of my boot. I was lucky I noticed it before it went into my foot. I think there is also some superstition about cuts from the blackthorn never healing and I have noticed the odd time getting a cut off one finding it took longer to heal than the usual scratches you might get when tidying up a hedge.

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macraignil wrote: »

Blackthorn are very nice hardy trees and I particularly like them when they produce their flowers early in the year. The thorns however are dangerous so be careful around them when they mature. I was sloppy leaving some pruning branches on the ground and when I later stepped on them one of the thorns went straight through the sole of my boot. I was lucky I noticed it before it went into my foot. I think there is also some superstition about cuts from the blackthorn never healing and I have noticed the odd time getting a cut off one finding it took longer to heal than the usual scratches you might get when tidying up a hedge.

I have them at the end of the field out of harm's way. Plan is to let them just grow without a lot of intervention.

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Starting to make plans now.
Rented out the field to a local for silage. He'll do the work and bear the cost.

Seeds arrived second time around. I contacted seed parade and they resent them. No quibble so a recommendation from me
Ordered seeds from Sutton. I put a Code up elsewhere and they're despatched today.
I also ordered oca and Jerusalem Artichoke from gardens for living in Roscommon.
I'm planning on Yacon as well and have found patch in NI for spuds. £22 for 25kg bags.i can use parcel wizard for delivery to cut postage costs.

Going to get the garden ploughed and harrowed in march depending on the weather.
Garlic is doing well.

Lidl are doing fruit trees tomorrow 3for 15 so I plan on getting some plums.

rolion

Liberty Low Beggar wrote: »

Starting to make plans now.
Rented out the field to a local for silage. He'll do the work and bear the cost.

Seeds arrived second time around. I contacted seed parade and they resent them. No quibble so a recommendation from me
Ordered seeds from Sutton. I put a Code up elsewhere and they're despatched today.
I also ordered oca and Jerusalem Artichoke from gardens for living in Roscommon.
I'm planning on Yacon as well and have found patch in NI for spuds. £22 for 25kg bags.i can use parcel wizard for delivery to cut postage costs.

Going to get the garden ploughed and harrowed in march depending on the weather.
Garlic is doing well.

Lidl are doing fruit trees tomorrow 3for 15 so I plan on getting some plums.

Good luck !!!

Porbable the trees are not "built" for Irish climate and i will like to be careful of the source before comitting.
A local grown tree is about 20ish upwards.
Also,make sure you buy at least 2-3 of each so polenisation works its magic.

dubbrin

rolion wrote: »

Good luck !!!

Porbable the trees are not "built" for Irish climate and i will like to be careful of the source before comitting.
A local grown tree is about 20ish upwards.
Also,make sure you buy at least 2-3 of each so polenisation works its magic.

I've wondered about the origins of these trees alright, planted 2x apple and pear 2 years ago and can't say they've taken to Irish soil (yet). One was diseased soon after planting but a good prune seems to have removed the problem branches. I think I'll spend the money on Irish reared trees in the future

Interested to hear how anyone else is getting on

rolion wrote: »

Good luck !!!

This is where i got all my fruit trees.
All of them went fine except 2 which died of root worms from the organic manure.You can buy the trees based on their polenisation groups and make sure they will fruit nice.

https://futureforests.ie/collections/fruit

I've heard good things about these people from more than one source

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Picked up 3 today. They were hit and miss in quality with tips broken off a lot.

3 for 15 is worth the gamble. All have tips

Rancid

Got 2 in Lidl a few years ago, a Braeburn and a Conference pear, both doing well especially the pear tree, really surprised at the amount of delicious fruit.

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Busy day today. Planted 3 pear and 3 plum to join our apples and cherries in the orchard.

For 30€ it was a bargain. They look good quality and are already starting to bud.

dubbrin

Got 2 apple and a pear yesterday and they're in with the other apples and pears so will see how they do. A bit scraglly and lots of proken stems, but hopefuly they'll recover in the next year or two

Was in homestore and more as well and happened accross bare root blueberry bushes. Some decent enough little ones there, 2 for €5. I'll try them in with the established bushes I have and the ones I bought in b&q last year. Hopefully three different varieties in a few years

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Today has been a good day.
Ordered Yacon along with the oca and Jerusalem Artichoke I already ordered.
Martin from Gardens for life shipped them today.

Also sourced woodchip from a local tree surgeon.

My goal of no dig is getting closer.