What I've done recently.

Discussion in 'Members' Systems' started by S.O.P, Nov 11, 2013.

  1. Bryant RedHawk

    Bryant RedHawk Junior Member

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    What a lovely group of photos SOP.

    Hoping our spaces look similar next year, right now we are in 100 f. days and 70+f. nights. What we have growing is getting water almost daily to keep the crops from dying prematurely. Sweet potatoes are really rocking though, they love this heat, tomatoes are still doing well but squashes are fading quickly, can't seem to keep enough water on them. Watermelons and cucumbers are still fairing pretty well. This fall we will be adding more amendments so the soil will hold on to more water than this first year of gardening. Next week I have to get a pasture area going for the two gilts we purchased prior to being weened, then it will be time to hunt a choat to be able to breed our new girls when they are old enough.

    I love your nursery, will be setting up one for us as soon as I get the buildings finished up. I keep thinking that this would go a lot faster if I was already retired.
     
  2. bazman

    bazman Junior Member

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    All looking great in your backyard. Had a chance to make any more biochar? Happy to make those bincharra tweaks when ever you want. I have been making outdoor furniture using recycled timber from Shorncliffe pier and recycled steel for the Sansgate nursery (The Garden Gate) They are selling everything I make which is great.
     
  3. S.O.P

    S.O.P Moderator

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    This weekend I'm taking it up if I get the time to use it. I'll be manhandling it by myself so it should be interesting as the family is staying behind.

    Good news on the furniture. Any pics?
     
  4. S.O.P

    S.O.P Moderator

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    And we are having warmer than average but nice and mild Winter days. I just travelled to a sub-alpine mountaintop to find snow and we caught 3 pieces of it on the side of the road. Talk about disappointing on the snowfront.

    I'd like to professionalise the nursery more, hothouse with heat, automatic watering (would dream of flood-and-drain). I can't really do seed and cuttings that well as they transpire too much out in the open. One day...


    How are you keeping the water up?
     
  5. Australian Beekeeper

    Australian Beekeeper Junior Member

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    Looking great SOP :) did you end up with any frost when it got really cold there?
     
  6. S.O.P

    S.O.P Moderator

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    No frost. I believe the Sunshine Coast had a tiny one. Last year they had 6 and all the grass was burnt, trees burnt, bananas killed. There may still be some on the horizon but so far...mild is the term. They did have some very strong winds though and there are a lot of broken trees.
     
  7. Bryant RedHawk

    Bryant RedHawk Junior Member

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    I keep amending the soils right now, lots of mulching and compost, we have five bales of nearly composted straw that will go into the root vegetable garden this fall. We have gotten the soil much more friable in the past two years. It used to only get wet down about a foot from a heavy rain, now the water gets down about two feet. I am hoping I can get it to saturate all the way down to the bed rock (which is only 3-4 feet down) before to much longer. That will help everything we plant as well as the trees of our forest. We are putting in more rain catchments as we can for when we have to apply water, I hate having to use our city water for much of anything because of the costs, being way out in the country it is rather expensive per 1000 gal.
     
  8. S.O.P

    S.O.P Moderator

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    Bit of everything to be seen. Asparagus in its new position has started to pop up.

    Snow Peas using a huge Coriander to climb.

    General nursery growth.


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  9. songbird

    songbird Senior Member

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    bamboo can be so impressive. :) love the "up the trunk" pic.
     
  10. Australian Beekeeper

    Australian Beekeeper Junior Member

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    Looking great. Those wicking beds are bursting!


    What are your thoughts on C.phytocarpa? There are quite a few as street trees around here and they look awesome. Noticed almost every tree has a bunch of seedlings growing so I assume they are easy to propagate. Going to give it a go.
     
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  11. Chookie

    Chookie Junior Member

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    Wish I was that organised with my seeds lol Looking really good
     
  12. Treemo

    Treemo New Member

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    I doubt S.O.P has done anything recently.

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  13. 9anda1f

    9anda1f Administrator Staff Member

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    "I doubt S.O.P has done anything recently."

    :) Hopefully your account is now in working order. Nice pics! That last one looks so refreshing!
     
  14. Everjams

    Everjams Junior Member

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    Nice looking work you have. I only wish I was somewhat this far along.
     
  15. Australian Beekeeper

    Australian Beekeeper Junior Member

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    Looking real good :)
     
  16. S.O.P

    S.O.P Moderator

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    That Treemo guy is a fraud.

    Anyway, back in a way (thanks Bill) with a broken camera, and a busy life with kids and whatnot.

    Hello to everyone.

    And I saw your hives on FB, AB, good on you for selling them at a fairer price. Did your new hive design get off the ground?
     
  17. Australian Beekeeper

    Australian Beekeeper Junior Member

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    Glad you are back! Have to admit I haven't been on here a great deal either but really wanted to share my progress with you (vetiver... Vetiver everywhere!). I'll update my thread soon though I will tell you now that the moringa sticks do grow :)


    And yeah hive design has changed slightly but will get some pics up to explain. Think of it as a cross between Bobs design and Langstroth (for Apis) hives. I have been doing a lot more with the natives since I developed an allergy to honeybees (yeah that happened).

    I visited crystal waters recently too, very cool place. Looking forward to pics of your progress when the camera is back up and running.
     
  18. S.O.P

    S.O.P Moderator

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    I saw your photos on the Vetiver FB page. I don't use FB but was piggybacking my partner's. Plus I see you on SE Qld Permaculture on FB.

    Not much progress when the weather is bad but it's always time to reduce Lantana where one can. So dry, it's probably not ecologically wise to do any clearing I suppose but there is so much Lantana and only so much time in my 30's (not long now).

    I got Tick Typhus and was misdiagnosed and had 40 degree temps for 10 days and no sleep for 4. Then I turned into a 90 year old and couldn't walk for 2. Good times. Sucks that you turned, have you gotten rid of the hives entirely?

    Did a few late Autumn splits once the weather dropped under 30 and have had great results with the mild temps, bees are still going mental which is unusual for this time of year.
     
  19. 9anda1f

    9anda1f Administrator Staff Member

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    Wow, S.O.P, glad you're ok now! Ticks ... they suck!
    = )
     
  20. S.O.P

    S.O.P Moderator

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    Thanks Bill, I think you guys call it 'Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever' and it's related.

    Turns out it's easily fixed with antibiotics if one is diagnosed but I was kicked out of hospital twice with a generic viral infection diagnosis. It was brutal but interesting to go through, harking back to the days before antibiotics and how fevers would knock around and kill the general populace.

    QLD Tick Typhus can kill but it's not a regular thing so lucky for me. The lack of sleep due to the fevers I found the worst as my mind was starting to wander with thoughts of cracking my skull open to release some of the pressure. Just when I thought I was going insane, I had my first night of sleep and that was pleasant. Turns out one of youngest chickens decided to prove that he was a male and the timing was off, unfortunately for him.
     

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