P.S. Jerusalem artichokes are yummy.
Glad to hear that, Tattercoats.
We're turning a corner over to a Forest Garden, with loads of perenials that, supposedly, don't need any attention. Jerusalem artichokes are to be one of the mainstays to possibly replace all or some of our spuds.
We've still got spuds in the ground, covered with plastic
(if you look after it it lasts for years, honest
), so we just dig them up when we want them. That way there's no problem with finding space to store them. Works if you don't get very cold temperatures. Snow isn't a problem because it insulates, frost is the worst. Squashs keep very well in the cellar, well worth the space, they're worse than pumkins.
We've got broad beans and Japanese onions in the ground ready for a quick take of in the spring and ordinary onions sprouting in cells indoors. Also got peppers and aubergines in trays indoors with salads all to go out into the polytunnel or greenhouse. Toms are on the way as well. You can buy greenhouses very cheaply second hand - you need access to a trailer for moving them.
A decent trailer in a good buy (together with a towing hook) for collecting all sorts of free or cheap stuff for reuse. We are using slabwood, the offcuts from squaring up trees in a sawmill, mostly oak, to form the sides of deep beds for the garden - there are a lot of good clean planks in it. It's about ?10/tonne, collected so our trailer earns it's keep. What we can't use gets burnt on the fire.
We're just starting with the polytunnel, this year will be our first full year. The aim for this year is to keep it full all year round. We left the tom's in too late last autumn and didn't get the winter stuff in soon enough. Still there should be a year or two before we have to rely on it.
Must keep the deer off the carrots this year. The buggers uprooted the lot last year. They don't seem to like parsnips though. The venison tasted good! We've had one roe and the guy who does the shooting has had five. He can keep coming up until he has cleared the muntjaks, they're evil little so and so's, and sneak in through the tiniest hole.
We can sell any excess we grow. My daughter takes stuff to work and it disappears. Environmental Health Officers seem to appreciate good food for some reason. They also take loads of our beef. My wife takes stuff to church as well.
Grazing land is very cheap to rent (many people are happy just to have someone grazing it) and very available. Three of us are getting together to buy some store lambs to fatten on free grass this spring. One of the guys does pork, so, with our cattle on the common, we'll be self sufficient in meat as well.
Cooperating helps a lot, lightens the work load and makes it more fun and less solitary, like allotment societies. Thinks- must get the ecovillage off the ground soon.
Ramble over, time for bed!!
.