• rekabis@lemmy.ca
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    0
    ·
    1 day ago

    My own property is being extensively reworked to produce a majority of our vegetables. We have already put about 185m² 2,000ft²) under direct cultivation in the back yard, and intend to wrap that garden around the entire property to the full 400m² (4.300ft²) available.

    In the end, I don’t expect to have a single blade of grass on the property. It’ll all be flowers, fruiting trees and canes and bushes, and vegetables. All done in a modified Ruth Stout method, with a variation of flat-ground Hügelkultur thrown in.

    Let’s just say that Bylaw is already pissed off with me, and I’m not even halfway done yet.

    • Blue_Morpho@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      0
      ·
      9 hours ago

      Ruth Stout

      You had me excited to find a better method. Then it was “find a cheap source of hay”. Then you need a method to spread hay- which ain’t easy. I’ll stick with my cultivar which makes mulch in place.

      • rekabis@lemmy.ca
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        0
        ·
        edit-2
        6 hours ago

        Then it was “find a cheap source of hay”.

        Many hay farmers will sell spoiled hay (unfit for animal consumption) for 50-25% of what you would pay for clean hay. Get evangelical about permaculture and the Ruth Stout method and some will just let you have spoiled hay for free.

        Stables will frequently give spoiled hay away for free, except here you need to fork it up and pack it off by yourself, it won’t be baled for your convenience. Plus, a lot of bedding wasn’t meant to be eaten by the animals in the first place, and comes with embedded manure.

        Remember, spoiled hay is spoiled. it’s not fit for feeding animals, and it’s not gonna be displayed in the Smithsonian as an example of premium hay. Many places that produce or consume hay just want to get rid of it, as it’s wholly undesirable for their main operations and just gets in the way.

        Then you need a method to spread hay- which ain’t easy.

        Gesundheit? If you are complaining about spreading hay - and I can cover my existing 185m² in a single afternoon with ease - then gardening in general is not going to be up your alley. Spreading hay is not supposed to be difficult or laborious. If it’s baled, unbale it and use your hands to break off chunks and crush it to floof it up and simply drop it in place. If it isn’t baled, get a fork, spear the hay, walk over to the garden with the fork full, then just shake the fork to loosen the clumps and let them fall.

        Like, you are doing this while standing upright, some time between October and March, long before the first plant gets planted. If your plants are already in the ground, you’re doing it the hard and needlessly difficult way.

    • Bosht@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      0
      ·
      10 hours ago

      You have any helpful links that assisted you with setup? I’ve been toying the idea but the soil here is horrible. Basically 6 inches of crap soil on top of bedrock. Any help is appreciated as I’m brand new to the idea. I do have some bucket planters that were gifted but other than that not much to start with.

    • Daelsky@lemmy.ca
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      0
      ·
      22 hours ago

      That’s amazing to hear! If it’s possible and doesn’t doxx you, I’d love to see a picture or two