Moving to the country... - Gonna eat me a lot peaches :)

Discussion in 'Planting, growing, nurturing Plants' started by Chook Nut, Sep 19, 2003.

  1. Chook Nut

    Chook Nut Junior Member

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    Hi all,

    Having recently studied Permaculture through TAFE and completing a PDC i have been itching to move to some acerage.

    Well, thanks to the property boom in Brisbane its allowed my wife and i to upgrade to a few acres (2.7 actually) out a Boonah, about an hour S-SW from Brisbane. I think the fact the current owners grilled me on why i wanted to buy the place helped us, as the current owners are in LandCare and have done a lot of planting of natives.

    It was always our plan to move up the Sunshine Coast and didnt think that would happen for years as its soo expensive up there now. My wife works in Ipswich so we looked at getting her a bit closer to work as i only work 3 days a week in Brissie.

    While i dont get the tropical climate i need for certain tropical fruit trees my wife is excited that i can grow a lot of stone fruit for here as there are plenty of chill hours in that region.

    Its going to be pretty exciting to be able to put into practice some larger scale plantings and design ideas that i have and just felt like sharing it with the permie community :D

    Take care all

    Dave
     
  2. Barbara

    Barbara New Member

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    :) Dear Dave and family,

    It must be a real buzz to put your new certificate to trial and see that it works. Congratulations on being game enough. I wish you every success. Keep us posted on your progress both good and disappointing. What do you intend to grow - edible, ecologically and for the sheer pleasure of growing it.

    Don't forget companion planting too.

    Best of luck

    Barbara
     
  3. Chook Nut

    Chook Nut Junior Member

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    Thanks Barbara,

    Yes, it is exciting... we move this Friday!

    This place had the added bonus that although i was leaving behind all the fruit trees i planted here, that he had most of the exact same trees but only more established :D. Some of these trees are Mulberries, a few well established citrus, plums, persimon, wampee, paw paw, macadamia and a few others.

    The current owner was surprised at my knowledge of some of his trees as he planted tagasaste and few other pioneer trees to help establish the natives he planted. He grilled me as to why i wanted to the property and i think he was satisfied that i would use it properly and just wasnt a city slicker that was going to cut down trees and ride his lawn mower every weekend.

    Some of the natives on there are endemic to that region already and i only plan on adding more of them with some edible natives not local to the area.

    For the first year i will concentrate on a vegie patch along with a decent chicken run, plus plant some passionfruit vines :laugh:

    Will keep ppl informed as to how it all goes.

    OK... off the reality now.... its time to go to work :(

    Dave
     
  4. d_donahoo

    d_donahoo Junior Member

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    enjoy the space dave.

    and happy moving! fill us in on the chook run design. i think the permaculture institute should run a competition on the best chook run design - i've seen so many amazing set ups!!!

    on paper i'm up to v8.3!!!!!

    but - am a while off building...considering our planning permit is only just hittting council now.

    cheers

    dan
     
  5. Chook Nut

    Chook Nut Junior Member

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    Thanks Dan,

    The chook run will be an interesting and challenging one for me i reckon. As a bit of a softy i like the idea of having happy chooks :p. One of my chicks i raised by hand spins out family and friends by jumping up on my lap and shoulder on command. The two eldest refuse to sleep in a coop and made our outside laundry their private retreat. And dont think of leaving the back door open otherwise 'Scruffy' enjoys a saunter throughout the house b4 finding a nice place to have a nap without the humans disturbing her. They really become your personal pets and have great personalities!

    In my current suburban block i went from giving them @70sqm to around 400sqm and free range the back yard(except the vegie patch). I got to see some of what trees and plants wont and will stand up to with their consistent scratching and where they like to forage and rest. Hence i have a few design ideas i am keen to try out. I think i will 'grow' some of the run before i increase their space bit by bit. Then i hope to create a semi permanent area which i can change around and grow food crops in certain spaces that are resting from them.

    Their will be the added alertness of making it fox and dog proof. Fencing a large area properly wont be cheap!

    All in all, the permaculture principle of thoughtful protracted labour comes into play here. Thats why i wish to observe a complete weather pattern for a year b4 i come up with a more permanent design for the property.

    There are countless things to factor, but thats the fun part.

    Oh well..... ranting now(starting me on me chooks can cause this!).... off to read some more of Holmgrens new book.

    Dave
     
  6. Mont

    Mont Junior Member

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    Dave, what's wampee?

    Mont
     
  7. Chook Nut

    Chook Nut Junior Member

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    Hi Mont,

    I forget the botanical name.... shouldnt be too hard to do a search on the net..... but its like a subtropical/tropical tree that can bear up to 45kgs of fruit a year when mature... this can take around 7-8yrs though.

    The fruit is quite nice and a bit like grapes but not in bunches, more like cherries, it has rather large seeds in it though.

    Worth a try if you dont mind 'grazing' fruit as i call it.

    Cheers

    Dave
     
  8. Guest

    the wampee is a bizarre branch of the citrus family isn't it? i say bizarre in that they don't much resemble other citrus. nice enough fruit as i remember. northery st city farm has a few of them...
     
  9. Chook Nut

    Chook Nut Junior Member

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    Hi Rich,

    Not sure about it being Citrus or not, think it originates around Malaysia. I bought my original one from Northey Street and will be going there this arvo to pick up some trees to start planting on the property. I will see if its fruiting .... probably not yet though. There's is a good example of size it can get to.... but difficult to reach over the Acerola to get to the fruit i found :D

    As it can bear heavily i think the wasted fruit would be a good source of chicken fodder! It is quite a refreshing taste as i recall as well.

    Cheers Dave
     
  10. JackieG

    JackieG Junior Member

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    :D Good Luck with the moving .... no matter how hard I try I can't seem to do it neatly lol.... never mind! Congrates on the land. we too have made a similar move to a few acres and it is absolute BLISS! It is like breathing for the first time.

    Those chookies of yours won't know themselves :cool:

    Jackie
     

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