Back to Eden Gardening and Hugelkulture and other non-conventional garden methods

[lazy gardener]

Sounds awesome.

 

[Arielle2]

I'm looking for some ideas and hope you will all chime in.

I want to plant a small orchard and keep the trees relatively small. I also want the chickens to be able to run the orchard area and plan on them being the pest patrol.

However, I want to plant some lower "shrub type" items throughout that can act as hawk cover so they're not just out in the open if they're in the orchard area.

Any ideas for what those low-growers could be?

I know a person here on byc that planted cherry shrubs that are producing fantastically for her that I also want to plant. From her photo, I think that they would be one good choice that would provide cover.

This photo is NOT MY PHOTO, but the photo from a fellow byc'er showing their dwarf cherry bush.

They got it here: https://www.gurneys.com/product/carmine_jewel_dwarf_cherry

Im not good at this linking thing. https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...ganic-and-not-so-organic-foods.1227809/page-9 try post 89ish

Stefan has remarkable permaculture orchard complete with chickens. THe structure might give you some ideas.

As for apples, the "dwarf" rootstock must all have staking. The trees in Stefann's orchard look like semi-dwarfs.
My personal experience has been the birds run to hide under ANY cover, including cars. And long ignored wild type roses and its brambles.

IMO overhead branches mess up the flightpath of a predator.

Crows are welcome here as they keep the hawks away, usually. THe young hawks in late summer are the trouble makers. THey kill but cannot take the kill to a high branch as the chicken is heavier than they can handle.

Hope I got you to that post.

 

[Arielle2]

I'm going to try using silverberry and Siberian peashrub as "undergrowth" in my upcoming apple (and if I'm lucky pear) orchard. They are both very hardy, nitrogen fixers, and produce nutritious food (for wildlife, chickens, and people!). The peashrub is fast growing and it's considered an invasive species in some places.

However I'm planning on standard sized fruit trees, so those shrubs might be a bit on the big side if you are planning on dwarf fruit trees

Catching up.

Today I was looking for alternatives to trees as nitrogen fixers, and here you have listed a few options!!!

 

[Arielle2]

LG, Some fruits are not allowed here in MA either and I sure wish I could plant them.



The lumber industry in Maine is significant. ( DH attended UMO in FOrestry and cruised for St Regis back in the '80's). Often fruit varieties are not truely resistant, even fewer are immune. The millions of acres of pine are vital to Maine, as Im sure you know.


I still pine for gooseberry and currants, lol

 

[lazy gardener]

Yeah, I will be a good girl and not fight the regs, even though they appear to be archaic by national standards. There is some sort of disease / insect issue that is wiping out many of the conifers around my yard and surrounding areas.

 

[lazy gardener]

When I was growing up, on a farm in the Portland area, my dad had a significant Pine grove that was being conservatively harvested. We also had goose berries in the field on the way to the woods. No issues from those goose berries, apparently.

 

[Leahs Mom]

@Arielle2
Thank you for that link!!!

 

[Arielle2]

Yeah, I will be a good girl and not fight the regs, even though they appear to be archaic by national standards. There is some sort of disease / insect issue that is wiping out many of the conifers around my yard and surrounding areas.

National standards are often not as useful as state by state regs. THis is why the National Supreme court system only hears a few cases, because their dicision will cover ALL the states universally. By changing the national law, some states can now have these berries.

A local orchard/farmstand sells gooseberries in the summer. I pick up a 1/2 pint and savor the very tart then sweet juicy experience. I dont think they are grown here. But I plan to ask!!

 

[Arielle2]

When I was growing up, on a farm in the Portland area, my dad had a significant Pine grove that was being conservatively harvested. We also had goose berries in the field on the way to the woods. No issues from those goose berries, apparently.

I dont think every plant is infected. It is like not every bat has rabies, but all dogs and cats must be vacinated. Still not sure why we dont vaccinate people though--high risk people are vaccinated.

 

[Arielle2]

Dang...I killed the thread.

Dug out the potato barrel for replanting. Layered in dried leaves and old material that overwintered in the garden. Topped with the soil and set the blue potatos.

Been watching Lee Reich on utube and his web site....a couple of his books look particularly interesting.