Fall is usually the time to begin our normal routine of plant our over - winter crops of Allium sativum and onions – and put the respite of the raised rows to bed with a nice thick cover crop of annual rye whiskey . Although these chores will still take place in the coming calendar week – this fall will include some additional body of work as we start to make a few upgrades to our garden place .
The garden as it looked in late 2012 . It is – and will always be – an ongoing operation .
The garden and raised rows have execute beyond our furious imagination the last four eld – but that does n’t mean there are some things we have reckon out through experience that might work a little better . So we decided it was time for a garden re - plan with a trivial tweaking here and there .
The garden as it looked in late 2012. It is – and will always be – an ongoing process.
The Garden Pathways – flip to a deeper mulch and a more lasting looking at .
We have always maintain the master garden walk and the paths besiege the outside in grass .
We will use the same pea crushed rock paseo we use around the farm in our main center garden gangway .
We will use the same pea gravel walkways we use around the farm in our main center garden aisle.
It was easy to maintain , inexpensive and quite frankly act very well . But it had some drawbacks . Mowing and pare it each week are two that come to thinker immediately :) . In addition – the pasture really held in the dawning dew , and could moderately much soak through to your socks .
This fall – we are going to substitute the main grass walkway with the pack limestone and pea gravel that has forge so well for other paseo around the farm .
Re - size the Growing Rows and Walkways
We will re-size all of the growing rows to a uniform 18″wide x 20′ length raised row to allow for better use of the garden space.
The next chore will be to re - ferment the mature row and walking paths in the real garden space . All of our current growing rowing range anywhere from 18″ to 28″ panoptic .
We will re - size all of the rise row to a unvarying 18″wide x 20′ length lift words to take into account for secure use of the garden infinite .
One thing we have really detect over the last few years is that the 18″ planting wrangle work just as well as the wider ones to grow all of our craw – and has of course much less space to keep Mary Jane free . It also allow us to husband our valuable compost and other organic materials even more – put on it in just the 18″ wide x 20′ long row where the plants actually grow .
The post and board fencing currently around the garden – and about to be moved to the chicken coop area.
As one final added welfare – create all of our row to be just 18″ wide allows for our walking rows between flora to be a slight more roomy – going from around 24″ to 32″. That extra space will make it easier to take the air between for watering and harvest .
Adding A High Fence – Recycling For A Better Look
The post and board fencing presently around the garden – and about to be moved to the chicken coop domain .
This will be the new garden fencing to surround the garden
A small over two years ago – we install mail service and board fence all around the garden – which has worked well to define the outer space and deter deer . But a few weeks back we created a few larger decorative fencing panels in another expanse of our farm – and we both instantly realized this should be the look for the garden as well . ( yes – it ’s true – unfortunately – projection always head to more task around here 🙂 )
The new fencing that we will put up will be 6′ high – and is actually create from livestock fencing and scrap 2 x 4 ’s we had on hand .
This will be the new garden fence to surround the garden
We will use the old fencing to build permanent outside areas for the chickens
To make the fencing – we use inexpensive livestock panels ( 16′ x 3′ gamy for $ 24 ) . Using 2 x 4 ’s as the frame – we just ran a elementary groove slue around the centre of the board for the panel to rest in – and then assembled the frame around it . It creates a great look wire fencing .
For the top – we had plenty of 2 x 4 24″ scraps on hand from making pergola cuts – so we used those to make a decorative design for the top half of the fence .
The ending result – we can create 16′ of heavy - obligation 6′ high fence that look with child and should last forever much less than buy fencing . And although we are lucky enough not to experience too much hassle with animals – it will certainly help to dissuade deer and small animals with the fencing at the bottom .
The planting crates used this year for the potatoes
So – what to do with the quondam post and board fencing ?
As for that old post and board fence – you know we had to recover a good use for it . In fact – we have the perfect plaza for it – our chicken coop run area !
We will use the honest-to-goodness fencing material to build permanent outside expanse for the chickens
The perfect – already made – potato crate!
We have been wanting a more lasting look for our chicken foot race in the back of the hencoop – and this re - body of work of the garden fencing render the arrant chance . For the last few years – we had used simple T - position and Gallus gallus conducting wire to create open space for the chickens to roam – although it work well – we just never really liked the face .
As we establish the newfangled sections of the garden fence – we will disassemble the onetime stake and control panel fence and relocate it to the chicken coop domain for a permanent fencing material structure for their external run . It will be nice to only open up a gate every few weeks to give them a Modern country to scratch up and tend – and will look a portion more pleasing to the optic than the chicken wire we had on the T posts .
We will make two separate fence - in areas to the rightfield and left of the back hencoop sunblind . In between the 4 x 4 posts – we will attach welded conducting wire fencing to keep a nice blank face – and the chickens out of our garden 🙂
The Potato Crate … that never had to be establish …
The planting crateful used this class for the tater
Then there is the tater crate project for next year .
As we spill the beans about a few weeks back – we experimented with a twosome of our small wooden crate to plant our potatoes in this year . The experimentation work out so well – we decide to expand into using prospicient home - build crates for next year to grow all of our white potato vine .
I was all ready to begin building the crate from pallet Natalie Wood when a little luck had them built for me .
The consummate – already made – white potato crateful !
I happened to be at a farm implement dealer this past calendar week purchasing a few things – when out of the niche of my eye I espy a long crateful outside . I walked out and realized it was a simple 16′ boxing crateful for a combine head – and ask if I could have it when they unloaded it .
And that was that – the potato crateful is complete ! Well – minus a little work to put in some chicken telegram to hold the grunge commixture . It never ever hurts to involve !
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Happy Gardening ,
Jim and Mary
Old World Garden Farms
